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.
U.S. Defense Department Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh speaks at the Pentagon on Aug. 15, 2023. (Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The U.S. can start delivering defense aid to Ukraine "pretty quickly" once Congress passes a foreign aid bill allocating $60 billion to Kyiv, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said during a press briefing on Feb. 20.
The Senate passed the $95 billion funding request, including assistance for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, earlier this month. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has so far refused to put it to a vote in the House, instead declaring recess until the end of February.
"So if you've seen with most of our PDAs (presidential drawdown authority), we've been able to surge systems and capabilities pretty rapidly, within a few days," Singh said in response to a question on how quickly the aid can be delivered.
"So as soon as Congress gives us that authority, we will be able to, I think pretty quickly, deliver a PDA to the Ukrainians."
Delays in U.S. aid have already had an impact on the ground in Ukraine. The loss of Avdiivka, a Donetsk Oblast city that has faced Russian attacks since 2014, was linked to shortages in artillery shells and other supplies provided by the West.
"Every day, the Ukrainian people fight bravely and heroically against the Russian aggression," Singh commented.
"So, we are going to continue to urge Congress to pass this urgent supplemental request so that we can deliver Ukraine the air defenses, artillery, and ammunition they need to defend themselves."
It remains unclear whether the House speaker will allow the vote, as he has already spoken against it, arguing it does not include measures addressing the growing number of migrants on the U.S.-Mexican border. Johnson has, however, previously helped to kill a funding request combining both border security provisions and foreign aid.
Lawmakers in support of helping Ukraine are preparing backup ways of pushing the funding through, including an alternative bill that provides less aid to Ukraine and addresses the border or a discharge petition to force the vote on the original proposal.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
John Roberts
