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.
According to The New York Times, the International Criminal Court plans to open two cases investigating war crimes conducted by Russian forces against Ukraine. Arrest warrants will be sought for several individuals, the NYT reports, citing current and former officials.
The cases are related to the Russian abduction of Ukrainian children and teenagers who were sent to Russian so-called "reeducation" camps and the deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure.
The cases emerged after months of work by special investigative teams. These will be the first international charges brought forward since Russia's full-scale war began in February 2022.
The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, must first present his charges to a panel of pre-trial investigation judges, who will decide whether the legal rules for issuing arrest warrants have been met or whether investigators need more evidence.
It is still unclear who exactly the court plans to indict.
When asked to confirm the requests for arrest warrants, the prosecutor’s office said, “we do not publicly discuss specifics related to ongoing investigations.”
According to some diplomats and experts, there is a possibility that charges may be brought against Russian President Vladimir Putin, since the court does not recognize the “immunity of the head of state” in cases related to war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide, NYT writes.
At the same time, they consider the probability of a trial to be low as the court cannot hear cases in absentia, and Russia is unlikely to surrender its own officials.
Prior, on March 4, the European Union helped take the first step towards setting up a dedicated tribunal to investigate Russian war crimes against Ukraine.
