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.
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.
The shooting occurred around 3:22 p.m. local time in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, a residential area in Bucha district, according to the Kyiv regional police.
A Russian supermarket in Limassol, Cyprus, on Apr. 21, 2023. (Kostas Pikoulas/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Russians who plan to buy property abroad are most interested in investing in Cyprus and Hungary, Russian media outlet RBC reported on Nov. 22, citing research from real estate agency NF Group.
While Turkey and the United Arab Emirates were the most popular locations in 2022, NF Group noted that Hungary and Cyprus were the most-requested countries by its clients this year.
The company said that 61% of its clients want to buy real estate abroad in order to obtain a residence permit or citizenship in that country.
Hungary is a popular destination for investment due to its relative affordability, the rapid rise of house prices, and the fact that the country offers a route to a five-year residency permit via a property investment of around $234,000.
Western sanctions in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine mean that Russians can only easily enter Europe with a valid residency permit.
Some EU countries, such as Cyprus, issue "golden visas," which allow high-income foreigners to quickly obtain a permanent residency permit if they invest in local real estate.
The Hungarian government stopped issuing "golden visas" in 2017 but announced on Nov. 14 that it plans to relaunch the scheme as a "guest-investor visa," which will give long-term residency permits to those who buy real estate worth over $543,000.
European Commission issued an urgent recommendation in March 2022 that EU member states should put an end to "golden passports" and "golden residence permits."
Russians and Belarusians who are under sanctions or support the war in Ukraine are able to travel freely in the Schengen zone due to these schemes, the European Commission warned.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides told the Associated Press on Nov. 20 that he had invited financial crime experts from an unnamed third-party country to assist with investigations into the use of Cyprus as a means of circumventing sanctions against Russia.
There should be "absolutely no shadows" over Cyprus because it harms the ability to attract "quality" foreign investment, he said.
Christodoulides' comments came after a massive leak of millions of files on Nov. 14 obtained from Cypriot financial service providers, dubbed "Cyprus Confidential," and a subsequent wide-ranging investigation by the International Consortium of Investigate Journalists (ICIJ).
Together, they comprise a complex picture of "how Cypriot financial enablers scrambled to help Russian oligarchs and Putin allies shield their assets and avoid Western sanctions," the ICIJ said.
Daniil Ukhorskiy
