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.
Russia's Foreign Ministry accused Ukraine and the West of being behind a car explosion that seriously injured Russian combatant and writer Zakhar Prilepin on May 6.
The ministry said in a statement that it was investigating the incident, claiming, without evidence, that "it is obvious that this is another terrorist act organized and carried out by the Kyiv regime (and) its Western curators," particularly the United States.
Ukraine has neither denied nor confirmed any involvement, but Atesh, a Crimean Tatar partisan movement, claimed the responsibility for the attack. The claim has not yet been confirmed or denied by anyone.
Prilepin, active as a Russian proxy fighter in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk Oblast in 2016-2018, was injured in a car explosion in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region. Russian state news agency TASS reported later that Prilepin was in a medically induced coma following the explosion.
A suspect in his assassination attempt was arrested, according to Russian media.
Prilepin was sanctioned in 2022 by Ukraine, the European Union, the U.K. and Canada for supporting the Russian invasion. He joined Russia's National Guard to fight against Ukraine in January, according to several Russian media reports.
The alleged assassination attempt follows similar attacks against pro-war Russians and Russian proxies in occupied territories of Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
In April, an explosion in a cafe in downtown St. Petersburg killed Russian propagandist Vladlen Tatarsky and injured a dozen others.
