Although Moscow declared on April 28 that it would halt all military actions from May 8 to midnight on May 11 to mark Victory Day, strikes on civilian areas have continued.
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.
Law enforcement personnel investigate the area around Trump International Golf Club after an apparent assassination attempt of former U.S. President Donald Trump on Sept. 15, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Ryan Wesley Routh, the man detained in connection with the apparent assassination attempt of former U.S. President Donald Trump on Sept. 15, claimed to support Ukraine and used his social media platform to attempt to recruit Afghan soldiers to fight Russia's full-scale invasion.
The Secret Service on Sept. 15 opened fire after seeing an armed individual at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, while Trump was playing golf. Trump was unharmed, and the FBI is investigating the incident as another assassination attempt against the Republican presidential candidate.
Routh, 58, was taken into custody following the incident, according to law enforcement officers. He was detained by local law enforcement on the highway and was reportedly unarmed at the time of his arrest.
Routh spoke to the New York Times (NYT) in 2023 about a scheme to recruit Afghan soldiers to fight in Ukraine. A former roofing contractor with no military experience, Routh used his Facebook account to appeal to conscripts in Afghanistan.
"Afghan Soldiers- Ukraine is somewhat interested in 3000 soldiers, so I need every soldier that has a passport to send me a copy of their passport to send to Ukraine," Routh said in one such Facebook post, according to CNN.
Shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Routh claimed on the social media platform X that he was ready to fight and die in the war against Russia.
"I AM WILLING TO FLY TO KRAKOW AND GO TO THE BORDER OF UKRAINE TO VOLUNTEER AND FIGHT AND DIE," he said.
It is unclear what actual support for Ukraine Routh provided apart from posts on social media.
Routh told the NYT that he had traveled to Ukraine in 2022 and spent several months there. He also claimed to have met with the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe to lobby for support for Ukraine. The Kyiv Independent could not confirm these claims at the time of publication.
Routh's social media history reflects a grandiose sense of his own importance in political affairs. In a post on X in 2020, he invited North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to his home in Hawaii, offering his services as "ambassador and liaison."
Trump was previously targeted in an assassination attempt on July 13 during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The incident sparked a wave of pro-Kremlin propaganda falsely blaming Democrats for the plot against Trump.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Abbey Fenbert
