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.
Mariusz Kaminski, former Polish Minister of Internal Affairs in the PiS government and former head of the Central Anticorruption Bureau, on Dec. 20, 2023. (Wojtek Radwanski/AFP via Getty Images)
Polish lawmaker Mariusz Kaminski claimed he is a "political prisoner" and will start a hunger strike on Jan. 10, the day after his dramatic arrest inside Poland's presidential palace.
The news comes after weeks of political turmoil between the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party and the current pro-EU coalition government, which is led by newly-elected Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
While in power between 2015 and 2023, PiS had been criticized both within Poland and in the EU for leading Poland towards an illiberal democracy, similar to Hungary, due to its control over state media and undermining judicial independence.
Kaminski, a former PiS interior minister, and Maciej Wasik, his former deputy, had been found guilty of abuse of power on Dec. 20, a charge related to their positions heading Poland's anti-corruption agency in 2007. Both were sentenced to two years in prison.
The lawmakers and Polish President Andrzej Duda have said they do not recognize the court's ruling since they received a presidential pardon from Duda in 2015.
The legality of this pardon is disputed because it was given while the men were appealing their conviction, and therefore before a final decision on the case was made.
Polish police arrested the PiS lawmakers inside the presidential palace on Jan. 9. Shortly before their arrest, Kaminski told the press from inside the palace grounds that "a grim dictatorship is being created" and that there is a "very serious state crisis."
Tusk reacted at a press conference that the situation was "unbelievable." Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinsky posted on X that evening that "everyone is equal before the law."
"I want to say clearly that if a politician is in prison, it does not mean that he is a political prisoner," Deputy Justice Minister Maria Ejchart said on Jan. 10.
Duda announced on social media on Jan. 10 that he "will not rest" until the lawmakers are free and argued that his 2015 pardon was in line with the constitution.
Elsa Court is the audience development manager at the Kyiv Independence. She previously worked as a news editor at the Kyiv Independent and was previously an intern at the Kyiv Post. She has a Master’s in Conflict Studies and Human Rights from Utrecht University. Elsa is originally from the UK.
Sławomir Sierakowski
