(Updated: )Victory Day
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Friday, May 9
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.
Friday, May 9
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.
(Updated: )
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.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
Russian forces have recently emptied a military depot in the north of illegally annexed Crimea, according to Foreign and Defense Policy Research Analyst at the American Enterprise Institute, Brady Africk.
“The removal of Russian military equipment from this depot in occupied Crimea can be seen clearly when comparing high resolution satellite imagery from Feb. 11 to March 16,” Africk wrote on Twitter.
The satellite imagery provided by Maxar Technologies shows that the depot used to store tanks, armored vehicles, and artillery, but was emptied at some point after Feb. 11.
It's unknown where the equipment was taken to.
The depot is near the village of Medvedivka in northern Crimea, near the transportation hub of Dzhankoi.
The high-resolution imagery also shows some of the defensive structures built in the area.
A few days earlier, on April 3, the Washington Post said that the satellite images show a “web of trenches” built by Russia in the Russian-occupied Crimea likely indicate that the Kremlin fears losing the peninsula.
"The Russian military, apparently, understands that Crimea will have to be defended in the near future," Ian Matveev, a Russian military analyst, told the Washington Post.
Crimea was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, with international community recognizing it as a Ukrainian territory.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously pledged that Ukraine will return all occupied territories, including the Crimean peninsula.
Ukraine war latest: Poland pledges new military aid to Ukraine during Zelensky’s visit
Key developments on April 5: * Poland to provide Ukraine with 14 MiG-29 fighter jets * Czech Republic pledges $30 million in military aid * Poland, Ukraine sign memorandums on reconstruction and joint munitions production * Zelensky: Situation in Bakhmut remains ‘complicated’ * CNN: Kremlin li…
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