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 shooting occurred around 3:22 p.m. local time in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, a residential area in Bucha district, according to the Kyiv regional police.
Photo for illustrative purposes. An aerial view of destroyed buildings after Russian missile strike in Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on Aug. 9, 2023. (Ercin Erturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Editor's note: The article was updated with a statement by Governor Vadym Filashkin about the mandatory evacuation of children.
Pokrovsk's residents have a week or two to evacuate as Russian forces are closing in on the Donetsk Oblast city, the administration head, Serhii Dobriak, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) on Aug. 19.
Moscow began concentrating its efforts in the east, "throwing everything they have" in the Pokrovsk direction after Russia's Kharkiv Oblast offensive failed, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in late July.
Pokrovsk is an important logistical hub for the Ukrainian forces that supports their operations in Donetsk Oblast. Around 53,000 people remain in the city.
"We had 13,700 children before the full-scale war (in Pokrovsk). Now, there are still 4,788 children in the community. That is, a third of them remain," Dobriak said.
"I think we will reach the point this week that we make the evacuation of children mandatory," he added. The obligatory evacuation of children and their families from the Pokrovsk community was announced later the same day by Governor Vadym Filashkin.
An average of 500-600 people leave the city every day, and 60% of the residents leave using their own means of transport, according to Dobriak.
"Yesterday (Aug. 18), 490 people left (Pokrovsk). Only 135 of them left by train. The rest left by their own transport, with their belongings, with a trailer. We can easily evacuate at least 1,000 people. We have the resources for that. If only they would leave," Dobriak said.
On Aug. 15, Dobriak urged residents of Pokrovsk to evacuate as soon as possible because Russian troops were 10 kilometers from the outskirts of the city.
As Russian forces concentrate more of their recourses on the offensive in Donetsk Oblast, the situation in the area in the Pokrovsk direction remains "extremely challenging," Kyiv acknowledged.
Russian forces have been slowly but consistently gaining ground in Donetsk Oblast, and the front-line areas of Pokrovsk and Toretsk have borne the brunt of attacks in recent weeks.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Emmanuelle Chaze
