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.
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.
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.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
Russian attacks on Donetsk and Kherson oblasts killed four people over the past 24 hours, local governors reported on May 18.
Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin wrote that three people were killed, one of whom was a child, while eight others sustained injuries due to Russian shelling. One of the injured was also a child.
Russian forces shelled Kherson Oblast 90 times, firing 529 shells from heavy artillery, Grads, tanks, drones, and aviation. The city of Kherson was shelled three times.
One person was killed and another injured in Kostiantynivka, according to Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko.
Two people were injured in the village of Katerynivka and another in the village of Umanske.
Additionally, Kyrylenko wrote that the body of a child who died during the Russian occupation was exhumed in the village of Tetyanivka.
A total of 1,521 people have been killed in Donetsk Oblast since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion and an additional 3,543 people have been injured.
However, these numbers do not include the casualty rates in occupied Volnovakha and Mariupol, as they are currently impossible to calculate. The actual casualty numbers are much higher.
Francis Farrell
