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.
A statue of Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko is seen protected by sandbags placed by Ukrainian authorities in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on March 27, 2022, amid Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)
Editor's note: This story is being updated.
Russian forces attacked a densely populated area of the city of Kharkiv with guided aerial bombs on Oct. 8, killing at least two people and injuring five others, local authorities reported.
The attack is the second strike on Kharkiv to cause civilian casualties in the day.
Earlier in the morning, another attack injured more than 20 people, including a 16-year-old child.
The city's Mayor Ihor Terekhov said that according to preliminary data Russia hit a multi-story building in the second attack. The strike damaged 15 apartment buildings in the Saltivka district, he added.
A woman and a man, both aged 70, are among the killed.
Kharkiv has endured constant Russian attacks for over two years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The last few months have seen intensifying strikes against densely-populated areas of the city.
Kateryna Denisova works as a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the NV media outlet for four years, covering mainly Ukrainian and international politics. Kateryna holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv. She also was a fellow at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.
Abbey Fenbert
