Under Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's rule, millions of Ukrainians died during the Holodomor, a man-made famine in 1932–1933. The dictator also oversaw mass deportations, purges of Ukrainian intellectuals and leaders, and the suppression of the Ukrainian language and culture.
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.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv as EU officials prepare to approve both new defense aid and steps toward establishing a tribunal for Russian leadership.
The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
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.
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.
South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin announces the government's solution to a wartime labor compensation dispute with Japan, at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul on March 6, 2023. (Photo credit: Kyodo News via Getty Images)
South Korea grows worried due to military cooperation talks between Russia and North Korea and is not excluding the possibility of unilateral sanctions against the two countries, the Yonhap News Agency reported on Sept. 15, citing South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin.
Seoul's statement comes shortly after the meeting between the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Russia earlier this week, reportedly to discuss Pyongyang's military support for the Kremlin's war against Ukraine.
"North Korea reaching any agreement related to the arms trade with Russia through their summit would be an extremely serious threat to security and peace on the Korean Peninsula," South Korea's top diplomat reportedly told journalists at a forum in Seoul.
When asked whether Seoul is considering unilateral sanctions against Moscow or Pyongyang, the minister responded that the government is "reviewing all possible measures," according to Yonhap.
Park noted that any military cooperation with North Korea, including arms sales deals, would constitute a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions against Pyongyang.
South Korea has previously joined international sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The country regularly imposes sanctions against North Korea over nuclear and missile threats or other illicit activities.
The North Korean leader met Putin in Russia's far-eastern Amur Oblast for talks on Sept. 13. According to the Kremlin, the meeting addressed possible cooperation between the two countries in the field of missile and space technology.
However, Washington believes that Russia is seeking to secure North Korean arms supplies to bolster its floundering invasion of Ukraine.
In the spring of 2023, Moscow reportedlyapproached Pyongyang with the offer of food supplies in exchange for weapons. North Korea has been heavily militarized since the end of the war with its Southern Korean neighbors in 1953 but suffers from chronic food shortages.
Earlier in August, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited North Korea's capital to convince the country's leadership to provide artillery ammunition that Russian forces could use in its war against Ukraine.
Yonhap reported on Sept. 14 that according to the South Korean intelligence reports, there have been recorded cases of Russian forces using unspecified types of North Korean weaponry on the battlefield in Ukraine.
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.
Martin Fornusek
