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.
Photo for illustrative purposes: Fragments of a Russian Shahed-type drone in Kyiv on Nov. 7, 2024. (Roman Petushkov/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
The Romanian parliament passed a law on Feb. 26 that allows the country to shoot down drones that violate its airspace.
The move comes after multiple incidents in which Russian drones crashed onto Romanian territory during attacks against neighboring Ukraine.
"Unmanned aircraft illegally crossing the Romanian state border and flying in national airspace without authorization may be destroyed, neutralized, or taken control of," the law says.
Following its approval in parliament, the law will now advance to the desk of interim Romanian President Ilie Bolojan, who assumed the duties of the head of state after former President Klaus Iohannis announced his resignation on Feb. 10.
"We are strengthening Romania's defense!" Interim Senate Chair Abrudean Mircea said in a Facebook post announcing the new law.
Last month, Romania's Defense Ministry confirmed that it had found Russian drone fragments in two communities near the Romania-Ukraine border. The drone wreckage was found after Russia launched an overnight aerial attack against Ukraine.
It was not the first time that wreckage of Russian droneshas been found in Romania, a NATO member state. Romania's military has scrambled F-16 fighter jets to protect the country's airspace amid Russian attacks against Ukrainian port infrastructure on the Danube River.
In response to Russia's escalating attacks, Romania's Defense Ministry in October 2024 published a draft law allowing Romania to shoot down aircraft illegally violating its airspace.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
