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.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv as EU officials prepare to approve both new defense aid and steps toward establishing a tribunal for Russian leadership.
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.
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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen on a screen set at Red Square as he addresses a rally marking the illegal annexation of four regions of Ukraine Russian troops partly occupy – Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia – in central Moscow on Sept. 30, 2022. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images)
A majority (63%) of Russians continue to support the full-scale war against Ukraine, which is viewed by another 64% as symptomatic of a larger "civilizational struggle between Russia and the West," according to a poll released on Jan. 9 by the University of Chicago's nonpartisan National Opinion Research Center (NORC).
The figure represented a slight decrease from a poll conducted by the Russian independent polling organization The Levada Center in November 2023, in which 75% of respondents said they supported the war.
The results of the Jan. 9 poll illustrate a consistent level of support for the full-scale war since its beginning almost two years ago, coupled with a majority of Russians saying that international sanctions had not impacted their personal lives.
At the same time, 55% of Russians said economic issues ranked chief among their primary concerns, but 65% of respondents blamed rising prices on a decline in their personal economic situation. A majority (67%) said they were financially the same or better off compared to two years ago.
Some of the much-lauded efforts to isolate Russia, such as the significantly reduced ability for Russians to travel abroad, appear to have gone largely unnoticed by a majority of Russians, 76% of whom said they were unaffected by the international travel restrictions.
As the Russian presidential election approaches, in which President Vladimir Putin is seeking a 5th term in office, 66% of respondents said they would be "more likely" to vote for him. The level of support was even higher among older generations.
The poll also indicated that Russians are heavily animated by the place of Russia in the world. An overwhelming majority (94%) expressed at least a moderate level of pride in their Russian identity. Another 62% said they believed Russia is treated unfairly in the world.
The "civilizational" framing of the conflict with the West appeared in other contexts as well, with 68% of respondents saying they were concerned that "Western influences, such as LGBTQ, will affect traditional Russian values."
Putin has also characterized the full-scale war on civilizational terms, and has frequently used the perceived "threat" of LGBTQ to drum up support at home.
Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Katie Marie Davies
