Although Moscow declared on April 28 that it would halt all military actions from May 8 to midnight on May 11 to mark Victory Day, strikes on civilian areas have continued.
Under Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's rule, millions of Ukrainians died during the Holodomor, a man-made famine in 1932–1933. The dictator also oversaw mass deportations, purges of Ukrainian intellectuals and leaders, and the suppression of the Ukrainian language and culture.
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.
Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya attends a U.N. Security Council meeting on Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine at the UN headquarters in New York City on June 23, 2023. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Russia vetoed a resolution at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on April 24 aimed at preventing a nuclear arms race in outer space.
The draft vote was proposed by Japan and the U.S. and called on all states to uphold the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which obligates nations "not to place in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction."
Thirteen of the UNSC's members voted in favor, while Russia voted against. China abstained.
The diplomatic push to prevent a nuclear arms race in outer space came after U.S. Congressman Mike Turner raised concern on Feb. 14 after saying that a "serious national security threat" faced the U.S.
Sources later disclosed that the threat was connected to an alleged Russian desire "to put a nuclear weapon into space."
The purported Russian space-based weapon is more likely to be a nuclear-powered device with electronic warfare capabilities that could be potentially used to target other satellites, sources told Reuters.
While the threat posed by such a potential weapon is of a less catastrophic nature than a nuclear device, it still has the capability to "cripple military and commercial communication," analysts said.
At the same time, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Feb. 15 that it is "not an active capability," echoing comments from American intelligence sources that the development does create an "urgent" threat to the U.S.
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Speaking on April 24, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., described Russia's veto as "baffling."
"Russia has vetoed a straightforward resolution that affirms a legally binding obligation," she said.
"President (Vladimir) Putin himself has said publicly that Russia has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space.
"So today's veto begs the question, why? Why, if you are following the rules, would you not support a resolution that reaffirms them? What could you possibly be hiding?"
Placing nuclear weapons in space would be a direct violation of an arms treaty that all nuclear-armed states have been party to since the 1960s.
Non-nuclear anti-satellite weapons are not new and have been tested by many major powers, including Russia and the U.S.
Detonating a nuclear weapon in space would nonetheless be a significant escalation.
Chris York
