According to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), this marks the first time Ukrainian authorities have exposed a Hungarian military intelligence network conducting activities harmful to Ukraine.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv as EU officials prepare to approve both new defense aid and steps toward establishing a tribunal for Russian leadership.
The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
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.
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.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with the leadership of military-industrial complex enterprises in Tula, Russia, on Dec. 23, 2022. (Photo by SPUTNIKAFP via Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed on Dec. 25 that the Kremlin was “ready to negotiate with everyone involved” to reach what it views as “acceptable solutions” for its brutal war against Ukraine.
In an interview with Kremlin-controlled Rossiya 1 television, Putin again blamed Kyiv and its Western allies for blocking the negotiation process.
He reiterated that Russia would continue waging the war until its objectives were achieved. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian authorities have has said that Ukraine would fight until a complete Russian withdrawal from its territory, including the Donbas and the Crimean peninsula.
EU and US leaders have signaled their readiness to negotiate if Russia is serious about wanting to end the war.
Nevertheless, Putin showed no signs of seeking an end to the war; he claimed in his Dec. 7 speech that Russia was ready for a long war.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the following day that Russia was determined to capture areas in eastern and southern Ukraine that it illegally claims to have annexed in September. Putin’s Dec. 15 claim about negotiations comes amid Western officials’ warnings that Moscow may be trying to buy time to regroup its forces for a new major offensive.
Earlier this week, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg wrote in an opinion article that “Russia hopes to freeze the war to allow its forces to regroup, rearm and try to launch a renewed offensive.”
Senior Ukrainian officials, including Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, have warned of a possible renewed Russian offensive from multiple fronts in early 2023, which could include another attempt to capture Kyiv.
While Putin has talked to some EU leaders in recent months, including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, no direct Russian-Ukrainian peace talks have taken place since April.
The peace talks in the first weeks of the full-scale invasion ended without a breakthrough. Promises made by Russia, including the implementation of humanitarian corridors for safe civilian evacuations, were broken by Russian troops.
Asami Terajima is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent covering Ukrainian military issues, front-line developments, and politics. She is the co-author of the weekly War Notes newsletter. She previously worked as a business reporter for the Kyiv Post focusing on international trade, infrastructure, investment, and energy. Originally from Japan, Terajima moved to Ukraine during childhood and completed her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in the U.S. She is the winner of the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Kurt Schork Award in International Journalism 2023 (Local Reporter category) and the George Weidenfeld Prize, awarded as part of Germany's Axel Springer Prize 2023. She was also featured in the Media Development Foundation’s “25 under 25: Young and Bold” 2023 list of emerging media makers in Ukraine.
