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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Sept. 16 increasing the number of the Russian Armed Forces from roughly 2.2 million to 2,389,130 people, including 1.5 million military personnel.
The decree will take effect on Dec. 1, 2024, and will increase the total number of Russian military personnel and staff by 180,000.
The last time the staffing level was increased was in December 2023. It amounted to 2,209,130 people, including 1,320,000 military personnel.
In August 2022, six months after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine started, the number of personnel in the Russian Armed Forces increased to 1,150,628.
The 2017 decree was in force at that time, according to which the staff should have been 1,013,628, a figure relevant at the time of the outbreak of full-scale war.
Russia conscripted around 300,000 reservists during a limited mobilization in September 2022 but has sought to avoid a wide-sweeping draft, often targeting recruits from economically weaker regions or migrants.
Ukraine believes that Russia continues to covertly recruit around 30,000 soldiers monthly, allowing the Russian military to balance out its losses.
While Moscow does not publish its casualty figures, Kyiv believes that Russian losses have exceeded over 630,000 soldiers killed, wounded, or captured as of September.
Oleg Sukhov
