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.
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.
Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov holds a press conference in Moscow, Russia on April 26, 2018. (Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
New charges have been brought against former Prime Minister Mykola Azarov for spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda and justifying Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the Security Service (SBU) announced on Oct. 12.
Azarov served as prime minister from 2010 until 2014 during the tenure of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych and now resides in Russia. He regularly makes anti-Ukrainian statements on state propaganda channels.
"Hiding from justice outside of Ukraine, (Azarov) actively cooperates with Russian special services and carries out subversive activities against our state at their instructions," the SBU said.
"For this purpose, he spreads pro-Kremlin narratives in comments for Russian propagandists, including on (Vladimir) Solovyov's and (Olga) Skabeyeva's talk shows" on state television, the SBU added.
The investigation also uncovered that the texts for Azarov's public speeches were being prepared by his assistant, who works as a civil servant at one of the Kyiv city district's administrations.
The woman communicated with Azarov not only from her own home, but also from her office, and was the administrator for his social media and YouTube channels, evidence suggests.
She coordinated Azarov's communications with another assistant, who moved to Moscow after the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. The two assistants were former colleagues, the SBU reported.
The two assistants have been charged with encouraging the overthrow of constitutional order, violating Ukraine's territorial integrity, and justifying Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Azarov faces the same charges, as well as committing treason under martial law.
While two of the accused currently reside outside of Ukraine, "comprehensive measures are underway to bring all those involved to justice," the SBU said.
Alisa Sobolieva
