(Updated: )Victory Day
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Friday, May 9
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.
Friday, May 9
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.
(Updated: )
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.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
Sanctions on Russia may reach a turning point in 2023, but there are opportunities to toughen them, according to an international working group studying their impact.
The working group is led by Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak and includes the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul, and experts from the Kyiv School of Economics.
The study found that the sanctions' impact had a significant start-up lag but is now having a substantial effect on the Russian economy, the Office of the President reported in a summary of the findings.
The balance payment surplus was down 60% from the second to the fourth quarter of 2022 and the trend appears to have continued into 2023, the researchers found.
The ruble lost 20% of its value since November, which sets the stage for higher consumer prices at a time when fewer Russians can afford them.
The study also concluded that the Kremlin is burning through its National Welfare Fund and may be out by the end of the year.
Receivables from oil and gas are expected to fall by 50% in 2023.
"At the same time, the sanctions regime is still far from exhausting its potential and needs constant updating and improvement. Further steps towards new sanctions restrictions must be applied,” the authors concluded.
Yermak said that the international group is working on reducing price caps for Russian hydrocarbons and eliminating sanction exemptions for certain Russian state-owned companies
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