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.
Putin inaugurated for 5th term in office in ceremony largely boycotted by West

Editor's note: The article was updated with comments from Peter Stano, an EU foreign and security policy spokesperson.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was sworn in on May 7 to his fifth term in office in an elaborate ceremony that most Western countries refused to participate in.
Putin easily won another six-year term in office in an election in March that is widely viewed as being rigged.
Many European countries, such as the U.K., Germany, Estonia, Czechia, as well as the U.S., said they would boycott the inauguration ceremony.
The inauguration was attended by representatives from six EU countries: France, Hungary, Slovakia, Greece, Malta, and Cyprus.
Josep Borrell, the EU's top diplomat, said that he sent a message to EU member states that "the right thing to do is not to attend this inauguration."
The EU's ambassador was also instructed not to attend the event, said Peter Stano, an EU foreign and security policy spokesperson.
"The recommendation was for member states to avoid this event. Nevertheless, few member states decided to proceed on their own," Stano said, stressing that the majority of EU countries boycotted the event.
"In the end, it's their own competence and decision to decide whether they want to attend... these are the decisions they take based on their competence, based on their national sovereignty, because, in the end, this is about bilateral relations."
In a sign of Russia's declining influence in its near abroad, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan declined to join.
A smattering of foreign guests participated, but foreign leaders were largely absent.

"We are a united and great people, and together we will overcome all obstacles, we will bring to life everything we have planned," Putin said in his inauguration speech.
"Together we will be victorious."
Putin added that he would not "refuse to have dialogue" with the West.
"The choice is (the West's): do they intend to continue trying to restrain the development of Russia, continue the policy of aggression, continuous pressure on our country for years, or look for a path to cooperation and peace," Putin said.
Besides a brief mention of his appreciation for soldiers fighting in the "special military operation," the Russian euphemism used to obfuscate the true nature of its full-scale war, Putin did not mention Ukraine in his speech.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that while there would be no American representative at the ceremony, the U.S. would recognize Putin as the president of Russia.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry urged other countries and international organizations not to recognize Putin as the rightful president.
There are "no legal grounds for recognizing Putin as the democratically elected and legitimate president of Russia," the ministry said.
The European Parliament overwhelmingly adopted a resolution in April condemning Putin's election as being illegitimate.

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