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.
The European Union will strengthen control over carriers' compliance with agreements on transporting grain from Ukraine to address concerns of protesting farmers and free up trade, Reuters reported on March 1, citing the EU Transport Commissioner Adina Valean.
Farmers across Europe have been protesting over a range of issues, including what they claim is unfair competition brought by Ukrainian agricultural imports to the EU, which Kyiv denies.
The farmers say they have been undercut by an influx of cheaper products from Ukraine following the creation of "solidarity lanes" in May 2022 to facilitate Ukraine's agricultural exports amid Russia's blockade of the Black Sea.
Polish farmers have been blocking border crossings with Ukraine since early February, further threatening Ukraine-Poland relations, as some protestors dumped Ukrainian crops and displayed anti-Ukrainian slogans.
"Closing borders is never a good idea, even less (when those are) borders with a neighbor in such need of connectivity," Valean told Reuters in an interview.
Disputes over agricultural goods trade escalated last year when Poland's conservative Law and Justice (PiS) government introduced an embargo on Ukrainian grain and four other products, first within the EU framework and then unilaterally while allowing their transit through Poland. The current government has not lifted the measure.
"As long as the agreements are implemented correctly, there shouldn't be problems, and we are working on strengthening implementation," Valean said in the interview.
"In other words, we must check to ensure operators are not overstepping agreements, that they can only do bilateral operations, that ... they have the right to transit."
EU countries also benefit from the trade, she added, as road exports to Ukraine from Poland, Romania, and Slovakia have grown by double digits, which exceeded the increase in the volume of goods arriving from Ukraine to these countries.
Dominic Culverwell
