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.
LUHANSK OBLAST, UKRAINE - MARCH 31: A gas mask on a cut down tree is seen on the road in the direction of Kreminna, Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region on March 31, 2024. (Photo by Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Russian forces used chemical weapons on the battlefield 434 times in December 2024, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Jan. 18.
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine's radiation, chemical, and biological intelligence units have been monitoring and recording the use of hazardous chemicals in attacks. The military has recorded 5,389 cases since February 2023.
Russian forces used K-51 and RG-VO munitions, anti-riot weapons that are prohibited for use in warfare, the General Staff said in their report.
Russia has also used ammunition loaded with dangerous chemicals of "unspecified type."
The use of such weapons "grossly violates the rules of warfare," the General Staff said. The report noted that chemical weapons attacks have "become systemic" since February 2023.
Russia has been intensifying its use of chemical agents on the battlefield in Ukraine. A Kyiv Independent investigation from August 2024 showed that instances of gas attacks are rising, and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) confirmed on Nov. 18 that a riot control agent known as CS has been used in Ukraine.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, more than 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been hospitalized with chemical poisoning, and three have died, Ukrainian Colonel Artem Vlasiuk said on Dec. 13.
Ukraine struck back at Russia's use of illegal chemical weapons on Dec. 17, when the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) assassinated Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, the head of the Russian Armed Forces' radiation, chemical, and biological defense troops.
The previous day, Ukrainain prosecutors charged Kirillov in absentia for the use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
