The approval marks a key step in international efforts to hold Moscow accountable for what is considered the gravest violation of international law committed against Ukraine.
Although Moscow declared on April 28 that it would halt all military actions from May 8 to midnight on May 11 to mark Victory Day, strikes on civilian areas have continued.
Under Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's rule, millions of Ukrainians died during the Holodomor, a man-made famine in 1932–1933. The dictator also oversaw mass deportations, purges of Ukrainian intellectuals and leaders, and the suppression of the Ukrainian language and culture.
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.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv as EU officials prepare to approve both new defense aid and steps toward establishing a tribunal for Russian leadership.
The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
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.
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."
Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister and head of the Ministry of Reintegration. (Reintegration Ministry via Facebook)
The Ukrainian government is creating an international coalition for the return of Ukrainian orphans forcibly moved by Russia, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk told the parliamentary TV channel Rada.
The coalition will also aim "to punish those guilty of crimes against Ukrainian children," according to Vereshchuk, cited by Ukraine's Reintegration Ministry.
Among the international leaders who have already expressed their support of such a coalition are European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, the Ukrainian official said.
The coalition will also need an intermediary, according to Vereshchuk. "It can be anyone: International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), etc."
"In this case, the help of the world community is critical to us… I hope that such a platform will start operating soon," she added.
According to the deputy prime minister, 4,396 Ukrainian orphans are now illegally kept in the occupied territories or were forcibly taken to Russia.
A total of over 19,000 children have been abducted to Russia since Moscow’s all-out invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, according to a Ukrainian national database.
On March 17, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official allegedly overseeing the forced deportations of Ukrainian children to Russia.
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The Kyiv Independent news desk
