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.
Lawmakers urged the EU and its member states to step up efforts to hold Moscow accountable through international courts and support for Ukraine’s campaign to bring its children home.
The Kyiv Independent’s Chris York sat down with author, historian, and Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9, which mark the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II, are one of the country’s biggest public events of the year. President of the Ukrainian Society of Switzerland Andrej Lushnycky who sheds some light on the things Putin would rather you didn’t know about World War II.
Washington’s involvement may also help mitigate political opposition in Europe, while giving the U.S. strategic visibility over future Russian energy flows, sources told Reuters.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte attends a Special European Council Summit on April 17, 2024, in Brussels, Belgium. (Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images)
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte promised Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban the possibility to opt out of NATO activities in support of Ukraine if made secretary-general, the Financial Times reported on June 18, citing its undisclosed sources.
The pledge was aimed at lifting Budapest's opposition to Rutte's candidacy, the FT wrote. Twenty-nine NATO members have backed Rutte as Jens Stoltenberg's successor, while Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania have long been the remaining holdouts.
Hungary has also consistently obstructed military assistance to Kyiv and sanctions against Russia, earning itself the label of the most pro-Kremlin country within NATO.
Rutte and Orban reportedly met on the sidelines of an EU leaders' dinner in Brussels on June 17. The Dutch prime minister pledged to his Hungarian counterpart that Budapest would not have to participate in NATO activities in support of Ukraine or those that take place outside of the alliance's territory, the FT wrote.
Slovakia said it seeks the Netherlands' support in securing its air space, while the motivations behind Hungary's decision remain unclear.
Stoltenberg visited Hungary last week for talks with Orban as many NATO members fear the Central European country could derail future plans of support for Kyiv.
The Hungarian prime minister told Stoltenberg that Budapest will not take part in any of these initiatives but will not block them either, the secretary-general said.
Orban said in an interview in late May that Budapest is looking for ways to opt out of any actions outside of the alliance's territory, allegedly fearing an escalation with Russia.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
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