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.
The State Bureau of Investigation's officers catch an employee of a military enlistment office in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Odesa Oblast, receiving a $7,000 bribe for removing draft-age men from Ukraine's military register on Jan. 11, 2024. (State Bureau of Investigation)
An employee of a military enlistment office in Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, Odesa Oblast, was charged with power abuse after allegedly taking bribes to help potential recruits avoid the draft, the State Bureau of Investigation wrote on Jan. 11.
This is one of multiple cases of power abuse, illegal enrichment, and corruption in Ukraine's military enlistment offices reported throughout the full-scale war.
The Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi's enlistment official allegedly arranged fake certificates of unfitness for military service for a $2,000 bribe and removed draft-age men from Ukraine's military register for $3,000.
The bureau said its investigators had documented the suspect receiving $7,000 for removing three men from the military register.
The law enforcement officers are conducting searches at the suspect's workplace, trying to establish other officials involved in the scheme and their "clients," the bureau added.
If convicted, the military recruitment official may face five years in prison.
A journalistic investigation into the extensive property of Yevhen Borysov, the former head of Odesa's military enlistment office, sparked a nationwide inspection into illicit practices in Ukraine's military enlistment offices last summer.
The probe revealed widespread abuses, prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky to fire the heads of all regional military enlistment offices.
Oleg Sukhov
