(Updated: )Victory Day
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Friday, May 9
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.
Friday, May 9
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.
(Updated: )
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.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
Rescuers retrieved the body of a one-and-a-half-year-old boy who was killed by a Russian missile attack from under the rubble of his home in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Valentyn Reznichenko said on Telegram.
Four people were killed, including a 64-year-old woman and a young family with a small son, in Russia's Dec. 16 missile attack on the industrial city of Kryvyi Rih, according to Reznichenko. Thirteen were also wounded, including four children.
The attacks on Dec. 16 were Russia's seventh mass missile strike against Ukraine.
Reznichenko also reported that the shelling of Nikopol, also located in Dnipropetrovsk across the Dnipro from Russian-occupied Enerhodar, the satellite city to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, continued through the night. No casualties were reported.
Russian forces used heavy artillery to fire at the Chervonohrihorivska and Marhanetska communities near Nikopol, Reznichenko said. The two settlements are under daily Russian shelling.
Ukraine war latest: Russia unleashes 7th mass strike using 76 missiles, hitting energy infrastructure
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