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.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in an interview on March 25 that the EU should adopt its 11th round of sanctions against Russia in the next two months despite some countries facing "fatigue" on continued support for Ukraine.
Speaking to Polish private broadcaster RMF FM, Morawiecki said that the upcoming round of sanctions to punish Russia for its war against Ukraine would be on the EU agenda "in the coming weeks," but he admitted that the bloc is already feeling the fatigue.
Morawiecki reiterated that Poland is working on ensuring that the European Commission pays attention to the "holes and gaps" that Russia uses to evade the sanctions. He added that Poland is also among the countries forming the upcoming package of sanctions.
Therefore, the task of Poland is to convince European partners that what is happening in Ukraine is absolutely unacceptable, that we live at a key historical moment and must respond accordingly," Morawiecki said.
The EU adopted its 10th round of sanctions in late February. The sanctions included additional trade restrictions against Moscow, making it harder to wage the brutal war.
While the EU, the U.S., and other supporters of Ukraine continue to issue rounds of sanctions, independent media reports, and research have shown that Russia can find ways to circumvent sanctions meant to starve Moscow's economy and defense industry.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, however, has been urging the West to speed up its sanctions against Russia.
“We need to hurry up. We need speed – speed of our agreements, speed of our delivery … speed of decisions to limit Russian potential,” Zelensky said on Feb. 17. “There is no alternative to speed because it is the speed that life depends on.”
