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.
Several Chinese banks have stopped accepting payments from Russia in Chinese yuan, fearing ramifications of U.S. sanctions, the Russian state-controlled outlet Izvestia reported on March 21, citing representatives of the Russian baking sector and business.
These institutions include Ping An Bank, Bank of Ningbo, China Guangfa Bank, Kunshan Rural Commercial Bank, Great Wall West China Bank, Shenzhen Rural Commercial Bank, Dongguan Rural Commercial Bank, and China Zheshang Bank, said Alexey Poroshin, the director of the Pervaya Gruppa firm, in a comment for Izvestia.
While the reported issues with yuan payments began in mid-January, complications with financial transactions between Russia and China started last December amid tightening Western sanctions.
Chinese banks first reportedly began rejecting payments in U.S. dollars, which could be easily tracked by American authorities. Last month, China's Chouzhou Commercial Bank ended operations in Russia and Belarus, while three other major Chinese banks stopped accepting any payments from sanctioned Russian institutions.
According to Izvestia's sources, the recent restrictions on yuan payments are caused by concerns about secondary sanctions and pressure from the U.S.
Despite the ongoing issues, Russian businesses are finding ways to circumvent this barrier. Around 80% of Russian enterprises that regularly work with China opened branches in "friendly countries" that were not subjected to sanctions, allowing them to process the payments, Izvestia wrote.
Russian business leaders believe that the situation will likely improve in the future, as Moscow and Beijing are both interested in continued cooperation.
China has fostered close ties with Russia during its full-scale war against Ukraine, tightening economic cooperation and disrupting Western attempts at isolating Russia.
Martin Fornusek
