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.
The European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium on Feb. 24, 2024. (Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has been using a Serbian national named Novica Antic to infiltrate EU institutions and spread pro-Kremlin views, Politico reported on March 5, citing Western intelligence briefs they had reviewed.
According to the outlet, Antic, allegedly an "active agent of influence" of the FSB, met with members of the European Parliament and representatives of trade unions. Politico wrote that nothing indicates that these officials were aware of Antic's connections to Russian intelligence services.
Antic reportedly works closely with Russian national Vyacheslav Kalinin, who runs Veteran News, a military-themed media website connected to the FSB and the Russian Defense Ministry.
"They took every opportunity to promote Russian propaganda relating to the war in Ukraine," the briefing read regarding Antic and Kalinin's activities in Serbia and the EU.
Antic, the leader of the Serbian Military Union, has criticized Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Serbia's Armed Forces. He was detained in Serbia last month on unspecified charges, Balkan Insight reported.
Unlike some of its neighbors, Serbia positioned itself as neutral in the Russia-Ukraine war. While condemning Russia's aggression, Belgrade has refused to join sanctions against Moscow or to supply arms to either belligerent.
The story comes as another security scandal for the European Parliament. The independent Russian media outlet The Insider reported on Jan. 29 that Tatjana Zdanoka, a long-serving member of the European Parliament from Latvia, is allegedly an agent working with Russian intelligence services.
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.
Nate Ostiller
