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.
The headquarters of the International Maritime Organization in London, the U.K. (International Maritime Organization/X)
Russia was not re-elected to the council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a United Nations specialized agency responsible for regulating shipping.
President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the organization's decision, thanking IMO members "for taking this crucial step."
"In the last decade, no country has done more to undermine freedom of navigation than Russia," Zelensky said on X.
The IMO's Assembly voted on Dec. 1 to elect 40 new council members for 2024-2025. The IMO's council is the organization's executive organ that performs governing functions between the assembly's sessions.
Russia applied under the category "states with the largest interest in providing international shipping services," where it held a place in the last two years but wasn't re-elected.
The new council members under this category are China, Greece, Italy, Japan, Liberia, Norway, Panama, South Korea, the U.K. and the U.S., according to the IMO.
Right after Russia launched its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, it blocked the movement of humanitarian cargo from and into Ukraine's Black Sea ports.
The Black Sea Grain Initiative, first brokered by Turkey and the UN in July 2022, allowed Ukraine to export its grain even amid the ongoing war.
Moscow unilaterally terminated the deal in July 2023 and subsequently intensified its attacks against Ukraine's ports and agriculture infrastructure.
Ukraine launched a new Black Sea corridor in August and has reportedly managed to export almost four million metric tons of food and goods through the temporary route.
Dominic Culverwell
