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 Federal Air Transport Agency has proposed that Russian airlines begin regular flights to North Korea in the latest sign of increasing ties between the two countries, Russian state-controlled media Kommersant reported on Nov. 20.
The agency reportedly sent the proposal to leading Russian airline companies Aeroflot and Aurora, who confirmed their "theoretical readiness."
“In the new foreign policy realities, Russia is forming new partnerships, the construction and development of which is not very comfortable without direct flights from Moscow," said Oleg Panteleev, head of the Aviaport aviation think tank, Kommersant reported.
The current primary way to reach North Korea by air from Russia is from the far-eastern city of Vladivostok on the state-owned North Korean airline Air Koryo, which only has two scheduled flights a week.
Unnamed experts cited by Kommersant believed that the proposed flights would mostly be of a business nature but added that a small increase in tourism was also possible. Tour operators who organized trips to North Korea did not receive a similar proposal to restore tours.
Flights from Russia to North Korea were suspended in 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The Vladivostok-Pyongyang flights resumed in August 2023.
Prior to the pandemic, regular tourism took place only with official tour operators. Kommersant said that such trips were rare, usually consisting of a group of 10-15 people every six months.
As of now, the proposed flights between Moscow and Pyongyang will still have a stop in Vladivostok, though there is a possibility for direct flights between the capitals in the future.
Nonetheless, traffic between Moscow and Pyongyang would be unlikely to exceed a few thousand people a year, an unnamed source told Kommersant.
Russia and North Korea signed a widely condemned arms deal in October, which Russia has denied.
U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Oct. 13 that Russia had received shipments of North Korean weapons and ammunition following a meeting between Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in September.
In addition, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Nov. 14 that he feared Russia's military cooperation with North Korea has increased, becoming a two-way street in which North Korea provides Russia with military hardware, such as artillery shells, in exchange for military technology to improve North Korea's long-range capabilities.
Katie Marie Davies
