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 forces struck residential areas of Donetsk Oblast's city of Kostiantynivka using S-300 missiles and Uragan multiple rocket launcher, the regional prosecutor's office reported on March 10.
The Russian attacks wounded four men and four women in the city aged from 30 to 79 years old, according to the report.
Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office added that 14 houses, nine cars, a gas pipe, garages, farm buildings, and civil infrastructure sites had been damaged or completely destroyed in the attacks.
Russia is concentrating its main offensive efforts on Ukraine's east as it attempts to lay claim to Ukraine's Donbas region, comprised of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
According to Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko, an estimated total of 1,403 civilians in the region have been killed since the start of the full-scale invasion, and 3,144 have been injured.
These figures exclude casualty numbers from Russian-occupied Mariupol and Volnovakha, which are currently impossible for Ukrainian officials to establish.
