George Simion, leader of Romania's far-right AUR party, who won the first round of the presidential election with nearly 40% of the vote, reiterated that if elected, he would oppose any further assistance to Ukraine and shift Romania’s focus inward.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed their countries' relationship on May 8, vowing to increase cooperation in all areas, including military ties.
"There is Turkey, which maintains channels of communication. And then, above all, there is the People's Republic of China, which, more than anyone else, has the means to make (Russian President Vladimir) Putin come to the negotiating table and soften his demands," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on May 8.
The United States will be ready to "walk away" from the negotiating table if it does not see Russia making progress in negotiation to end the war, U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on May 8.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived in Moscow on May 9 to celebrate Victory Day, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
US President Donald Trump on May 8 called for a "30-day unconditional ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia. Writing on Truth Social, Trump expressed his hope for "an acceptable ceasefire," with both countries "held accountable for respecting the sanctity of... direct negotiations."
President Volodymyr Zelensky had a "constructive" phone call with United States President Donald Trump on May 8, discussing the war, continued pressure on Russia, and a potential ceasefire.
The survey, conducted between April 24 and May 4, shows that 56.9% of respondents would not be willing to compromise on either territorial integrity or Ukraine’s pro-Western direction in any potential talks with Moscow.
U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the new pope and leader of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, taking the name Pope Leo XIV, a senior cardinal announced on May 8 to crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square, according to Vatican News.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki arrives at the European Council Meeting on Dec. 15, 2022, in Brussels, Belgium. (Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)
During the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 17, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Poland is not open to providing F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. However, he expressed the country's willingness to collaborate with other NATO member states on providing alternative fighter jets.
Morawiecki attributed the reason behind this to Poland having "very few" F-16s in its arsenal.
He added that Poland had already sent 250 tanks to Ukraine and would provide another 60 modernized tanks and 14 Leopard-2 tanks.
Polish President Andrzej Duda said in an interview with Ukrinform on Feb. 17 that supplying Ukraine with MiG-29 aircraft was one alternative since they required less training.
"They would immediately strengthen Ukrainian defense, and this is very important. Of course, very few NATO countries have MiG aircraft. We have several of these planes, and we will consider the issue," he said.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
