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 Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski in a photo on March 23, 2019. (Mateusz Wlodarczyk/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski called on Jan. 3 for the provision of long-range missiles to Ukraine and tighter sanctions against Russia in response to a recent mass strike against Ukrainian cities.
Russian forces launched nearly 100 missiles and 35 drones against Kyiv, Kyiv Oblast, and Kharkiv on Jan. 2, killing five people and injuring 130, including children.
"We should respond to the latest onslaught on Ukraine in language that (Russian leader Vladimir) Putin understands," the Polish foreign minister wrote on the social media platform X.
Sikorski said that Ukraine's allies should respond "by tightening sanctions so that he (Putin) cannot make new weapons with smuggled components and by giving Kyiv long-range missiles that will enable it to take out launch sites and command centers."
As Poland shares a border with Ukraine, concerns are mounting that mass strikes against Ukrainian territory may threaten Polish security as well.
Warsaw said that during an earlier attack on Dec. 29, a Russian missile briefly entered Polish airspace, which Moscow denied. The Polish Air Force scrambled its jet fighters during the Jan. 2 strike.
Slovak President Zuzana Caputova voiced a similar position to Sikroski in a comment on social media on Jan. 2.
Slovakia's head of state said that the "best way to ensure Moscow's aggression does not continue into another year is to provide Ukraine with the means needed to defend itself."
This position stands in contrast to the policies of the current Slovak government of Robert Fico, who halted arms supplies to Ukraine from the Slovak military stocks.
Several other Western officials denounced the latest Russian mass attack against Ukraine. Josep Borrell, the EU's chief diplomat, said that "Russia will be held to account for its war crimes."
U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink commented that Putin only "strengthened the resolve of Ukrainians to defend their freedom" by the recent strike.
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.
Martin Fornusek
