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.
US President Donald Trump looks on as French President Emmanuel Macron speaks during a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on Feb. 24, 2025. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
Russia may be "dragging their feet" on ending its war against Ukraine, U.S. President Donald Trump told Newsmax on March 25.
Asked by a reporter whether he believes Russia "wants to see an end" to the full-scale war, Trump said, "I don't know. I mean, I'll let you know at a certain point. But I think that Russia wants to see an end to it, but it could be they're dragging their feet."
While President Volodymyr Zelensky said the ceasefire would take effect on March 25, the Kremlin claimed that the Black Sea truce would come into force only after Western sanctions on Russian food producers and exporters are lifted.
"I've done it over the years, you know; 'I don't want to sign a contract, I want to sort of stay in the game, but maybe I don't want to do it,'" the U.S. president said, adding that Zelensky would also "like to see it (the war) end at this point."
Trump previously said that the U.S. is "looking at" the possibility of lifting some sanctions on Russia to secure the Black Sea ceasefire.
The agreements follow a round of technical talks the U.S. delegates held separately with Russian and Ukrainian officials in Riyadh to hash out details of the truce.
According to the Moscow Times' sources, Russia is deliberately prolonging the peace talks to seize more territory and strengthen its negotiating position with the U.S. as it believes that time is on its side.
A U.S. intelligence assessment concurred that Moscow, as well as Kyiv, may see a greater incentive to prolong the war instead of settling for an unfavorable peace deal, Bloomberg reported.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Dominic Culverwell
