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.
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 logo of Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) is pictured above the entrance of the bank's headquarters building on Feb. 1, 2023 in Vienna, Austria. (Photo: Heinz-Peter Bader/Getty Images)
Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) is delaying its pullback from Russia as Austria wants to safeguard its long-standing ties with Moscow, Reuters reported on July 6, citing three undisclosed sources.
According to the news agency, Austria and RBI are resisting the pressure to leave Russia in hopes that the invasion of Ukraine will end soon.
Some officials in Vienna are reportedly averse to cutting decades of relationship-building with Moscow. They hope the ties can be restored after the war, despite Austria's public support of Ukraine, the sources told Reuters.
The Vienna-based bank group, the largest remaining Western bank in Russia, has come under increased pressure to exit the country.
On Feb. 18, Reuters reported that the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) was investigating Raiffeisen for its activities in Russia. The European Central Bank (ECB) urged Raiffeisen on March 24 to devise an exit strategy for selling or shutting down the group's Russia branch of operations.
According to Reuters, RBI has not yet outlined its plan to the ECB and wants to wait for the approval of the European authority before asking its shareholders for shuttering Russia operations, making the exit unlikely before September.
Raiffeisen also needs the approval of the Russian government and its central bank before it can make the move, Reuters wrote. According to the news agency's sources, Moscow hopes for the Raiffeisen to stay as it enables international payments.
As Austria's second-largest bank lender, Raiffeisen plays a significant role in Russia's financial system and is one of only two foreign banks classified as "systemically important" by the Russian central bank.
This underscores the bank's importance to the Russian economy, particularly in the face of extensive Western sanctions. Despite the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Raiffeisen has continued to operate in Russia.
In 2022, the bank generated a net profit of $4.1 billion, with $2.2 billion of that coming from Russia alone. Russians have entrusted more than $22 billion to the bank.
Alexander Query
