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.
Russian troops have attacked a boat with evacuees from the flooded areas of the Russian-occupied east back of the Dnipro River, injuring six people, President Volodymyr Zelensky's Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak reported on June 11.
Yermak said Russian forces "opened fire at the backs" of evacuees.
All the injured were hospitalized when the boat got to the Ukrainian-controlled west bank in Kherson, the regional capital.
The medics are trying to save the lives of the injured, Yermak said.
On June 11, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko reported that 2,718 civilians had been evacuated from the flooded areas. He also reported five deaths due to flooding in Kherson and Mykolaiv oblasts, and 35 missing individuals, including seven children.
Casualty figures remain unknown on the east bank under Russian occupation.
Ukraine says that Russian forces intentionally destroyed the Kakhovka hydropower plant, causing the massive flooding of dozens of settlements on the both banks of the Dnipro River. An alleged call between Russian soldiers intercepted by Ukraine’s intelligence services on June 9 supposedly confirms Moscow's complicity.
The U.S. government has so far refused to say conclusively who is responsible for the Kakhovka disaster but asserted that Russia ultimately bears blame as it was in control of the dam.
Francis Farrell
