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.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a campaign rally on Dec. 17. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Donald Trump emerged as the winner of the New Hampshire primary, where Republicans voted for their preferred presidential candidate, results showed on Jan. 23.
Trump, who served as president between 2017 and 2021, is currently ahead in the polls to become the Republican nominee for the 2024 U.S. presidential election. If nominated as the Republican nominee, Trump would once again face incumbent President Joe Biden in the November presidential election.
Donald Trump was also the winner in the first-of-the-nation Republican caucus in Iowa on Jan. 16, handily defeating his opponents, including former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.
While the Republican nominee will be officially chosen during the Republican National Convention in July, state caucuses and primaries influence the eventual choice.
The result of the November presidential election is expected to influence the course of Russia's war against Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 19.
"If the policy of the next president – whoever he is – will be different toward Ukraine, colder or more inward-oriented, if there will be more focus on domestic policy... then I think these signals will greatly affect the course of the war in Ukraine," Zelensky said.
Earlier this week, President Zelensky invited Trump to visit Kyiv to demonstrate Trump's ability to bring an end to the war with Russia within 24 hours - as Trump previously claimed he would.
Trump has repeatedly said that the war would not have happened if he was still in power in Washington, and that he would bring it to an immediate end if voted back in because he has what he described as "a good relationship" with both Zelensky and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
“He is very welcome to come here, but I think he can not end the war in 24 hours, without giving our land to Putin,” President Zelensky previously stated in response to Trump's claims.
Questions remain as to whether Trump's name will appear on certain states' ballots. In December 2023, the states of Maine and Colorado, removed Trump from the ballot, ruling that he cannot be considered as a candidate because of the 14th Amendment's "insurrectionist ban" and his involvement in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
The Supreme Court is slated to rule on the decision in the coming months.
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.
Olena Goncharova
