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.
People walk outside the building of the Crimean State Council, the former the Crimean parliament, bearing a Russian flag in Simferopol in the evening of March 20, 2014. (Dmitry Serebryakov/AFP via Getty Images)
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that overnight on March 3, its forces allegedly intercepted and destroyed 38 drones over Russian-occupied Crimea.
No casualties were reported. Earlier explosions were heard near an oil depot in Feodosia, a resort city in eastern Crimea, according to local Telegram channels.
Russian proxy authorities in Crimea shut down traffic on the Crimean Bridge in the early hours of March 3 following the explosions. No reason was given for the traffic closure.
The bridge, also called the Kerch Bridge, connects the Russian mainland with the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula. Construction on the bridge began after the illegal 2014 annexation and occupation of Crimea, and was completed in 2018.
The 19-kilometer long bridge is a critical supplies and transport route for Russian forces in Crimea and mainland Ukraine, and has been the target of repeated attacks following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Kateryna Denisova
