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.
Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov during an interview in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Dec. 14, 2022. (Andrew Kravchenko/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
During an interview with Suspilne on Feb. 19, Ukraine's Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov revealed that Ukraine is "working with SpaceX" to find a solution to disable Russia's use of Starlink satellite terminals in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
"We found an algorithm, proposed it to SpaceX, and now we are in communication with them on how to prevent such cases," Fedorov said during the interview.
According to media reports, Russian forces have begun to use Starlink terminals, manufactured by SpaceX, more actively on the front line, offering high-speed internet access in remote and war-torn regions.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk has denied that the company has ever sold or supplied the equipment to the Russian military.
Fedorov noted that Starlink terminals are likely being procured through intermediaries in third countries, making it nearly impossible to trace.
Fedorov emphasized the need for a nuanced approach to disable Russia's use of Starlink, as broadly disconnecting the terminals would hinder Ukraine's ability to operate drones in occupied territories.
"There is another way to ensure that our Starlinks work while others do not. We are working with SpaceX on this," Fedorov added.
Fedorov noted that SpaceX worked to provide algorithmic support for the Israeli government throughout its conflict with Palestine.
Despite the previous support, SpaceX has not yet made progress to shut off Russian internet connection in occupied Ukraine.
SpaceX began providingStarlink satellite internet to Ukraine shortly after the Russian full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Stanislav Prybytko
