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.
Poland wants to join NATO's nuclear sharing program in response to Russia's plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza cited Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki saying on June 30.
"Since Russia intends to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, we again call on all of NATO to take part in the Nuclear Sharing program," Morawiecki said.
"We do not want to sit idly by while Putin escalates all sorts of threats."
The prime minister stressed that the final decision will rest with the U.S. partners.
Nuclear sharing is part of NATO's nuclear deterrence where non-nuclear members are allowed to host nuclear weaponry of their allies on their territory. Germany, Belgium, Italy, Turkey, and the Netherlands take part in the program.
Warsaw already voiced interest in joining in October 2022 in response to Russia's nuclear threats.
The most recent impetus for Poland was the joint declaration by Minsk and Moscow that Russian tactical nuclear weapons will be deployed in Belarus.
On June 14, Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko claimed that his country had already received the first weapons shipment from Russia. This was reiterated by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on June 16.
Ukraine's military intelligence refuted these claims on June 20, saying that not "a single nuclear warhead" has been delivered so far.
Maria Yeryoma
