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.
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.
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.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
A draft decree suggesting changing Russia's border in the Baltic Sea was deleted from the Russian government website on May 22 after swift condemnation from some NATO members.
In the draft decree, originally published on May 21, the Russian government said it wanted to revise the existing border, as it had been created in 1985 using now out-of-date nautical charts.
The draft proposal was deleted on May 22, and the web page to the decree now reads: "The draft is deleted." There has been no public explanation as to why it was taken down.
Leaders from the surrounding NATO member countries responded fiercely to the decree.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis called the Russian move "another hybrid operation,"which aims to spread fear, uncertainty, and doubt about their intentions in the Baltic Sea.
"This is an obvious escalation against NATO and the EU and must be met with an appropriately firm response,"Landsbergis wrote on Twitter.
Micael Byden, the supreme commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, said Russian President Vladimir Putin may be seeking dominance over the Baltic Sea and has his eye on the Swedish island of Gotland.
"I am confident that Putin even has both eyes on Gotland. Putin's goal is to gain control of the Baltic Sea," Byden said.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb, in turn, said Moscow had not consulted with Helsinki.
"Finland acts as always: calmly and based on facts," Stubb wrote on Twitter.
Kateryna Denisova
