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.
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.
Polish border guards near the new fence on the Polish-Belarusian border near the village of Nowdziel on June 30, 2022, in Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Two Polish brigades have been transferred from the west of the country to locations near the border with Belarus, Polish defense minister Mariusz Błaszczak said on July 18.
The move is in response to the growing presence of the Wagner group in the country, the minister said.
One brigade will be located at a new base in Kolno, in the north east of Poland. Another will be located in Biała Podlaska, a town in the east of Poland about 32 kilometers from the Belarusian border.
On July 17, a third convoy of Wagner group fighters arrived in Belarus from Russia. According to a report by monitoring group Belarusian Hajun, the column included 20 vehicles, including pickups, trucks, and buses, driving under Russian and Wagner flags.
The anti-government monitoring group believes it is at least the third Wagner convoy that has arrived in Belarus since July 11.
The transfer of Wagner forces is allegedly a result of Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko's deal with Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin, following his armed rebellionagainst the Russian government in late June.
Prigozhin's troops stopped short of reaching Moscow on June 24. The deal reportedly entails that the mercenary group will relocate to Belarus, where camps are being built to house the fighters.
On July 18, the BBC verified satellite images that show about 300 tents that have been erected at Tsel, a disused military base in southern Belarus, over a two-week period. They counted 31 large vehicles as part of a convoy that arrived at Tsel on July 17.
Ukraine's Border Guard Service commented that the mercenaries do not pose a serious threat to Ukraine, as their numbers count in mere hundreds.
Błaszczak made the announcement while on an official visit to the U.S. Though he recognized the presence of U.S. soldiers in Poland as important to deter any threats from Belarus, he emphasized that "above all, the Polish Army defends Poland."
Francis Farrell
