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.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv as EU officials prepare to approve both new defense aid and steps toward establishing a tribunal for Russian leadership.
The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
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.
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.
Lawyer Illia Novikov during the presentation of "The Free" exhibition at the National Museum of Ukrainian History in the Second World War, Kyiv, Ukraine, on Sept. 10, 2020. (Yuliia Ovsyannikova/ Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
The Gagarin District Court of Moscow ordered the arrest in absentia of Illia Novikov, former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's lawyer, Novikov said on Feb. 14, publishing a copy of the court's decision on Facebook.
Novikov was accused of spreading "fake news" about the Russian military. Such charges are commonly used to try and silence perceived opponents of the regime and its military aggression against Ukraine.
The Russian state news agency TASS reported that the reason for the case was Novikov's interview in April 2022, where he spoke about the mass killings of Bucha residents by the Russian military.
In response, the lawyer posted on social media a photo of an artillery shell with an inscription, which he called an "exchange of valentines with Russian authorities."
In October 2023, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) launched a high treason case against Novikov, claiming he "underwent military training in Ukraine and is participating in combat tasks and propaganda work."
Novikov, an outspoken Kremlin critic, has been involved in a number of high-profile cases in Russia. He has served as a defense lawyer of Ukrainian pilot Nadiia Savchenko and Russian human rights activist Oyub Titiev.
In 2019, he became a defense counsel of Petro Poroshenko, Ukraine's fifth president and the current leader of the European Solidarity party.
Novikov, who has denounced Russian aggression in Ukraine, has been residing in Kyiv since 2021. The Russian Interior Ministry put the lawyer on the country's wanted list in November 2022, and he was stripped of his license to practice law in Russia last June.
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.
Daria Shulzhenko
