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.
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.
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.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers temporarily suspended auctions on the ProZorro public procurement system, the Economy Ministry reported, citing the government’s resolution from Dec. 30.
The ministry said that the measure is needed because Russia’s continuous attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure led to scheduled and emergency power outages, often impeding access to the internet.
“Not all bidders in the ProZorro electronic procurement system have the opportunity to participate in auctions,” the statement said.
Auctions won’t be held during the period of martial law and within 90 days from the moment of its termination, the Economy Ministry announced. The martial law has been enacted on Feb. 24, when Russia invaded Ukraine. It has been prolonged every few months ever since.
“Starting today, all bids that will be announced in ProZorro will be conducted without an auction. That is, the (initial) tender offer of the participant is final, and the winner is the one who gave the lowest price during the submission of the offers,” Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said on Jan. 3.
“We will bring back the auctions as soon as the situation stabilizes,” she said.
ProZorro is Ukraine’s electronic public procurement system, designed to increase transparency and competition in the bidding process. Launched in 2016, it has become the go-to platform for conducting procurement procedures in the country. ProZorro streamlines the process for companies to participate in bids and tracks the entire procurement process electronically, helping to reduce corruption and improve efficiency.
At the same time, its sister platform Prozorro.Sale, an online auction system for the sale and lease of property, will continue to hold auctions.
