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 shooting occurred around 3:22 p.m. local time in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, a residential area in Bucha district, according to the Kyiv regional police.
The exterior of the Russian Embassy in Bucharest is pictured on March 27, 2018. (Andrei Pungovschi/AFP via Getty Images)
Romania said on March 5 that it had expelled Russian military attache Victor Makovskiy and his deputy, Evgeny Ignatiev, for breaching diplomatic rules of conduct.
"It is an exceptional measure... It is not a measure taken easily, and it is taken when the breaches are grave," Romanian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Andrei Tarnea told Euronews.
The decision was communicated to the Russian side, which promised an "appropriate response."
Undisclosed sources told Euronews that the move was connected to the campaign of Romania's pro-Russian presidential candidate, Calin Georgescu.
The far-right politician, who won the first round of a November vote that was later annuled, was detained last month as he faces criminal investigation on suspicions of misreporting his campaign's finances and promoting war criminals and fascist organisations.
Georgesu surged to first place in the November vote with almost 23% despite being seen as a marginal and largely unknown candidate. He was expected to face pro-EU Elena Lasconi in the second round, but Romania's Constitutional Court annuled the results after a declassified intelligence report pointed to extensive Russian interference in the elections.
Georgescu's surge in popularity was also connected to a massive campaign on the TikTok social media platform shortly before the vote. He remains the front-runner for the rescheduled vote in May.
The politician has praised Romania's World War II fascist leader Ion Antonescu and Russian President Vladimir Putin and proposed a post-war partition of Ukraine.
Annulled elections have come to the attention of the Trump administration in the U.S., which has lambasted Romania for the decision as Washington adopts increasingly hostile rhetoric toward its European partners.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Oleg Sukhov
