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.
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.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer talks to the media on board his plane as he flies to Washington DC for talks with U.S. President Joe Biden from Stansted Airport on Sept. 12, 2024, in Stansted, Essex, England. (Stefan Rousseau - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Russia started the war against Ukraine and can end it right away, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters on Sept. 12 following Russian leader Vladimir Putin's warnings that the use of Western arms in Russia would draw NATO into war.
Putin's comments came amid growing signs that the U.S. and the U.K. are considering easing restrictions on Ukraine using long-range weapons to strike targets deep inside Russian territory, something Kyiv has requested for months.
The Kremlin's chief said on state TV that such a decision would "mean nothing less than the direct involvement of NATO countries, the U.S. and European states, in the war in Ukraine."
It would mean that "the very essence of the conflict will change" and Moscow "will take appropriate decisions based on the posed threats," he said. Russia has repeatedly set supposed "red lines" on Western assistance for Ukraine, sometimes accompanied by veiled or overt nuclear threats.
Putin has also claimed that the Ukrainian military would not be able to use cutting-edge Western arms without direct assistance from NATO militaries.
Speaking during the flight to Washington for his meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, Starmer said: "Russia started this conflict. Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. Russia can end this conflict straight away."
"To reiterate, it was Russia who started this in the first place. They caused the conflict; they're the ones who are acting unlawfully," the British prime minister stressed.
Joining the U.K., the EU has also rebuffed Putin's threats. EU spokesperson Peter Stano said that Putin regularly makes false statements and that nothing will change Brussels's stance as long as he continues his illegal war against Ukraine.
Starmer and Biden are expected to discuss long-range strikes during their meeting on Sept. 13, but it is unclear whether the final decision will be made that day.
A source close to President Volodymyr Zelensky told the Kyiv Independent that the Ukrainain president provided a detailed explanation on the need for long-range strikes to American and British top diplomats, Antony Blinken and David Lammy, during their visit to Ukraine on Sept. 11.
Ukraine has received shipments of long-range ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles from the U.S. and the U.K., but the two countries did not permit their use inside Russian territory so far. Kyiv has repeatedly appealed to its partners to lift the ban and allow Ukraine to counter Russian aerial strikes and ground offensives effectively.
While the Western countries eased restrictions on the use of certain arms just across the border after a Russian offensive in Kharkiv Oblast in May, limits on long-range strikes deep inside Russia remained in place.
Multiple Western outlets, such as Politico and the Guardian, recently wrote that this position may be shifting as U.S. and U.K. officials are preparing plans to ease the restrictions further.
The debate comes at a critical time as Russia is ramping up its pressure along the eastern front while also counterattacking in Kursk Oblast, threatening Ukraine's rare and hard-won gains on Russian soil.
Russia also recently received short-range ballistic missiles from Iran, in addition to those previously provided by North Korea and domestic-made missiles.
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.
Dinara Khalilova
