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.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaks during a press conference in Beijing on April 16, 2024. (Andres Martinez Casares/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on April 16 that he has asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to "put pressure" on Moscow to end its war in Ukraine, as "China's word carries weight in Russia."
Scholz met with Xi in Beijing on April 16 as part of a three-day visit to China. Scholz said before the meeting that he planned to discuss "how we can contribute more to a just peace in Ukraine."
The German chancellor said he asked Xi to "put pressure on Russia to ensure that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin finally abandons his insane campaign, withdraws his troops, and ends this terrible war."
The two leaders also agreed to "coordinate intensively and positively on promoting the hosting of a high-level conference in Switzerland and future international peace conferences," Scholz said, referring to the upcoming global peace summit in Lucerne.
Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua said Xi and Scholz had an "in-depth exchange of views," and Xi proposed four principles to resolve the war.
These principles included refraining "from selfish gains," working to "cool down the situation and not add fuel to the fire," creating "conditions for the restoration of peace," and reducing "the negative impact on the world economy."
Beijing has also maintained close ties with Moscow since February 2022. Ukraine and Europe have diplomatic channels with China open and repeatedly urged Beijing to use its influence over Moscow to help end the war.
Washington expressed concern to its allies about China's support for Russia on April 9, which led the Chinese Foreign Ministry to declare that Beijing and Moscow have the right to continue "normal cooperation."
Elsa Court is the audience development manager at the Kyiv Independence. She previously worked as a news editor at the Kyiv Independent and was previously an intern at the Kyiv Post. She has a Master’s in Conflict Studies and Human Rights from Utrecht University. Elsa is originally from the UK.
Elsa Court
