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.
United Nations delegates spoke out against Russia's use of North Korean ballistic missiles in Ukraine at a Security Council meeting on Jan. 10, according to a UN press release.
Russian forces have launched multiple North Korean ballistic missiles at Ukraine since Dec. 30, according to U.S. officials. Following a series of massive Russian aerial attacks, including a Jan. 2 strike that involved ballistic missiles, the Security Council announced it would convene to address Pyongyang's supply of weapons to Moscow.
North Korea has made Ukraine “a test site of its nuclear-capable missiles,” South Korea's UN Envoy Hwang Joon-Kook said during the meeting.
“The introduction of North Korean missiles into the war in Ukraine has a significant implication on global nuclear non-proliferation,” he said.
Joon-Kook also said he agreed with the assessments of some experts that Russia fired KN-23 missiles into Ukraine, weapons that North Korea claims can deliver nuclear warheads. This represents an "existential threat" to South Korea, he told the Council.
Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood also condemned Russia's use of ballistic missiles in Ukraine and North Korea's arms trade with Russia.
"It is abhorrent that a permanent member of the Council is flagrantly violating resolutions to attack another UN Member State," Wood said.
"Such violations exacerbate the suffering of the Ukrainian people and undermine the global nonproliferation regime."
The U.S. and nearly 50 allies published a joint statement on Jan. 9 condemning North Korea's alleged transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia and calling for an immediate end to the supply of weapons.
U.S. officials reported that Russian forces launched at least one North Korean missile into Ukraine on Dec. 30. That missile landed in an open field in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. During a massive overnight attack on Jan. 2, Russia fired multiple North Korean ballistic missiles into Ukraine as part of a strike that left five people dead and 130 wounded.
At the Jan. 10 meeting, Russia's delegate denied reports that Russia used ballistic missiles provided by North Korea in Ukraine, and accused the U.S. of spreading disinformation.
Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine's permanent representative to the UN, said that Russia is able to inflict harm on Ukraine frome a safe distance “due to an ongoing supply of weapons and munitions from rogue States."
The Kyiv Independent news desk
