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.
A car is driving in a strong snowstorm in the center of Odesa, Ukraine, on Nov. 26, 2023. (Viacheslav Onyshchenko/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Wide swathes of Ukraine are still without power, and the number of dead resulting from the historic storms has risen to 12, with an additional 23 injured, including two children, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on Nov. 29.
The storm, which has been referred to as the "storm of the century," swept across the Black Sea region on Nov. 27, causing significant damage to Ukraine, as well as other countries in the area.
Meteorologists in the region predicted winds of 40-50 mph, along with record amounts of snowfall in some areas.
Klymenko said that 521 populated areas across 11 oblasts in Ukraine were without electricity as of Nov. 29 and that rescue workers were reaching those in need of assistance.
The Ukrainian state electrical grid operator Ukrenergo cautioned customers to use electricity sparingly and said that the oblasts of Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, and Odesa were among the most impacted.
It said that repair work was underway but was hampered by difficult weather conditions, as well as continued Russian attacks, which also caused power outages in Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Donetsk oblasts.
Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
