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.
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.
The shooting occurred around 3:22 p.m. local time in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, a residential area in Bucha district, according to the Kyiv regional police.
Lawmakers urged the EU and its member states to step up efforts to hold Moscow accountable through international courts and support for Ukraine’s campaign to bring its children home.
The Kyiv Independent’s Chris York sat down with author, historian, and Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9, which mark the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II, are one of the country’s biggest public events of the year. President of the Ukrainian Society of Switzerland Andrej Lushnycky who sheds some light on the things Putin would rather you didn’t know about World War II.
Washington’s involvement may also help mitigate political opposition in Europe, while giving the U.S. strategic visibility over future Russian energy flows, sources told Reuters.
The flags of the European Union and Ukraine outside the EU Parliament building in Brussels, Belgium, on Friday, Feb. 24 2023. (Ksenia Kuleshova/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The European Council announced in a statement on Feb. 25 that they had adopted the 10th package of sanctions against Russia and those who support its war against Ukraine.
"Today's 10th package of sanctions targets those who are instrumental in the continuation of this brutal war. We are taking more measures, tackling the banking sector, access to dual-use technology and advanced technologies," the European Union's top diplomat Josep Borrell said, as quoted by the statement.
On Twitter, Borrell wrote that the new sanctions package targets 121 individuals and entities, and also includes significant new import and export restrictions, and bans Russian propaganda outlets.
"We remain united in our determination to dent Russia's war machine," he wrote.
According to the statement, seven Iranian entities that manufacture drones Russia has been using to attack Ukraine are coming under EU sanctions for the first time.
Russia has been using Iranian-made kamikaze drones to attack Ukraine since September, launching attacks against civilians and destroying energy facilities nationwide.
The new sanctions package also "imposes further export bans on critical technology and industrial goods, such as electronics, specialized vehicles, machine parts, spare parts for trucks and jet engines, as well as goods for the construction sector, which can be directed to Russia's military, such as antennas or cranes."
Also, further restrictions are imposed on imports of goods that "generate significant revenues for Russia, such as asphalt and synthetic rubber." The new sanctions also prohibit providing gas storage capacity to Russian nationals.
The Council said they had also started the process for suspending the broadcasting licenses of RT Arabic and Sputnik Arabic media outlets since Russia has been using them for its "continuous and concerted disinformation and war propaganda actions."
According to Borrell, the new sanctions also target those responsible for the deportation and forced adoption of "at least 6.000 Ukrainian children."
"This is a clear violation of international law, including the Geneva convention, as I raised at UN Security Council yesterday," Borrell wrote.
On Feb. 24, the U.S. also introduced an additional package of sanctions against Russia, targeting banks and key suppliers of the Russian military sector. Restrictions will be imposed on more than 200 individuals and entities within Russia and worldwide "to further degrade Russia's economy and diminish its ability to wage war against Ukraine."
Earlier on Feb. 22, Politico reported, citing three unnamed diplomats familiar with the matter, that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban threatened to veto the extension of EU sanctions against Russia, which must be renewed every six months.
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