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.
Greek authorities detained a Ukrainian citizen suspected of embezzling Hr 43 million ($1.2 million) from Ukraine's Defense Ministry's budget, the Prosecutor General's Office reported on Nov. 15.
The suspect, whose identity was not revealed, was reportedly detained in Athens on Nov. 13.
Between March 2 and May 10 last year, the suspect allegedly seized funds that a company received as military procurement advance payment from the defense ministry.
The suspect was the director of the company at the time and colluded with other individuals in the scheme, the Prosecutor General's Office said.
The person was formally charged on July 12, 2022, and a request for his detention was sent to Greek authorities on Nov. 6, 2023. Ukraine also asked Interpol to issue a red notice regarding the suspect.
The person is currently under temporary arrest in Greece, and the request for extradition is being drawn up, prosecutors said.
Defense procurement corruption scandals were the main factors behind the firing of former Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov. One of the scandals concerned overpriced food supplies, and the other overpriced and poor-quality winter jackets for the military.
Tackling corruption and ensuring greater procurement transparency was one of the chief tasks set by President Volodymyr Zelensky to Reznikov's successor, Rustev Umerov.
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.
