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.
NATO Defense Secretary Mark Rutte met with U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump in Florida on Nov. 23, 2024. (NATO/release)
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has told U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that Washington would face a "dire threat" from China, Iran, and North Korea if Ukraine is forced to accept an unfavorable peace deal, the Financial Times reported on Dec. 2.
China's President Xi Jinping "might get thoughts about something else in the future if there is not a good deal," Rutte told Trump in an apparent reference to Taiwan, as the NATO chief revealed in an interview with the outlet.
Rutte met the U.S. president-elect in Florida on Nov. 23 amid fears that Trump might scale down the U.S. participation in NATO and its support for Ukraine as it faces Russian aggression.
Speaking to the Financial Times, the NATO chief warned against allowing the leaders of Russia, Iran, and North Korea to celebrate a "deal which is not good for Ukraine" as that would be "a dire security threat not only to Europe but also to the U.S." in the long-term.
Tehran and Pyongyang are Moscow's key allies in its all-out war against Ukraine, providing arms and, in North Korea's case, soldiers to boost Russian forces.
Trump's return to the White House is raising concerns about the stability of Western support for Ukraine, as the president-elect pledged to get the U.S. "out" of the war and bring the conflict to a swift end.
Ukrainian officials have appealed to Trump to maintain his support and adopt a "peace through strength" approach in dealings with Russia.
The details of Trump's peace plan remain unclear, but his pick for a special peace envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, previously proposed freezing the war along the current front lines and postponing Kyiv's NATO aspirations.
Ukraine hopes to receive a NATO invitation — a step included in its five-step victory plan — during an allied ministerial summit on Dec. 3-4, but media reports suggest that there is a lack of consensus on the matter.
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.
Oleksiy Sorokin
