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.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv as EU officials prepare to approve both new defense aid and steps toward establishing a tribunal for Russian leadership.
The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
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.
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.
CIA director Bill Burns testifies during the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing on worldwide threats in the Hart Senate Office Building. March 11, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Bill Burns, the head of the CIA, said at the Financial Times' Weekend festival in London that he believed there was a "genuine risk" Russia would use tactical nuclear weapons in the first months of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Telegraph reported on Sept. 7.
"There was a moment in the fall of 2022 when I think there was a genuine risk of a potential use of tactical nuclear weapons," Burns said, referring to the time around Ukrainian counteroffensives in Kharkiv and Kherson oblasts.
Following the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the south in late 2022, the U.S. "rigorously prepared" for Russia's use of strategic or tactical nuclear weapons, CNN reported in March, citing its undisclosed sources.
After Russian propaganda spread reports that Ukraine allegedly intended to use a so-called "dirty bomb" against Russia, U.S. officials feared the Kremlin would use this pretext as a cover for a possible nuclear attack, according to CNN.
U.S. President Joe Biden sent Burns to Turkey in November 2022 to meet with Sergei Naryshkin, the head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. During the talks, Burns conveyed to his Russian counterpart the potential consequences of an escalation involving nuclear weapons.
In a statement issued at the time, the White House said: "He is conveying a message on the consequences of the use of nuclear weapons by Russia and the risks of escalation to strategic stability."
Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials have reiterated several times since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that Russia is "prepared" for a nuclear war and could use its nuclear arsenal if necessary.
In February, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, said the world risked a global "apocalypse" if Western nations continued to send arms to Ukraine.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov also said on Sep. 1 that Russia will change its nuclear doctrine based on an analysis of recent conflicts and the West's "escalation course."
Of Russia's nuclear threats, Burns said at the event: "I don't think we can afford to be intimidated by that saber rattling or bullying, (but) we've got to be mindful of it."
According to a March report from the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), Russia currently has a total inventory of 5,580 nuclear warheads (including around 1,200 awaiting dismantlement), the most of any country in the world.
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
