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.
The ruling Georgian Dream party's local headquarters in the town of Sachkhere, Georgia, on May 27, 2024. (Vano Shlamov/AFP via Getty Images)
The ruling Georgian Dream party said on Aug. 20 that it will try to declare its largest opposition party, the United National Movement (UNM), as unconstitutional if it secures a parliamentary majority in the upcoming elections.
Georgian Dream, which has been power since 2012, has long demonized UNM and its former leader and ex-president, Mikheil Saakashvili.
Saakashvili, who left the country after Georgian Dream came to power and briefly served as the governor of Ukraine's Odesa Oblast, has been in prison in Georgia since 2021 on charges he maintains are politically motivated.
In an appeal posted on Facebook, Georgian Dream emphasized that it needs to obtain a "constitutional majority in order to qualitatively improve the political system, which cannot be achieved without removing the collective 'UNM' from politics."
The phrase, "collective UNM," has been regularly used by Georgian Dream officials as an attempt to lump its political opposition under the banner of UNM, which still has a controversial legacy in the country.
"Upon obtaining a constitutional majority, we will initiate a legal process that will result in UNM and all its satellite or successor parties being declared unconstitutional," the statement continued.
Georgian Dream's statement also included three other reasons why it says it needs a constitutional majority — to pass anti-LGBTQ legislation, "to restore the territorial integrity of Georgia...in a peaceful way," and "for the protection of Georgia's identity and national values."
The statement was immediately criticized by Georgia's opposition, with some saying that it was illustrative of Georgian Dream's increasingly open authoritarian tendencies and intent to create a one-party state.
Georgian Dream previously passed an anti-LGBTQ bill in its first reading in June, but it must go through two more readings and other legislative steps before it becomes law.
Two regions of Georgia — Abkhazia and South Ossetia — are under de-facto control of Russia. Georgian Dream has hinted before about the possibility of returning the territories to its control, but has yet explained how it plans to do so. Some believe that the plans may include concessions to Russia.
Georgia's relations with the West have deteriorated in recent months, in large part due to the passage of the controversial foreign agents law and associated crackdown on the historic street protests that followed.
Parliamentary elections, widely thought to be an existential moment for the country, are scheduled to be held in October. Recent independent polling found that while Georgian Dream was the most popular party, chosen by 32% of respondents, the level of support would be short of a constitutional majority and would necessitate the creation of a coalition government.
Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Peter Leonard
