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.
Ukraine sympathizers fly a Ukrainian flag outside the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. as the Senate on Feb. 11, 2024. (Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)
The United States will participate in the upcoming global peace summit but has not revealed who will attend it yet, Reuters reported on May 26, citing an undisclosed U.S. official.
The summit will be held on June 15-16 in the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland. Over 80 countries have confirmed their participation in the event, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.
On May 26, Zelenskycalled on the presidents of the U.S., Joe Biden, and China, Xi Jinping, to "show their leadership in advancing the peace" and participate personally in the upcoming summit.
"Please, show your leadership in advancing the peace – the real peace and not just a pause between the strikes," Zelensky said.
Beijing "was considering" joining the event but has not officially confirmed it.
Ukraine is keeping diplomatic channels with China open, even though Beijing has maintained close ties with Moscow during the war.
Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak said in early May that China's attendance would be very important and that Ukraine was making every effort to engage its delegate to participate.
The U.S., in turn, confirmed its participation to Reuterson May 26 but declined to reveal who would attend and at what level.
Biden will likely miss the upcoming peace summit, Bloomberg reported on May 23, citing its undisclosed sources.
The media outlet reported that the U.S. president is set to attend a campaign fundraiser on June 15 in Los Angeles, which clashes with the summit schedule.
The summit will be centered around Ukraine's 10-point peace formula, a plan first outlined by Zelensky in fall 2022 that calls for a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied Ukrainian lands, among other steps.
Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.
Kateryna Hodunova
