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.
Workers demolish a bombarded block of flats amid reconstruction efforts in Irpin, Kyiv Oblast, on May 13, 2023. Irpin was targeted by indiscriminate Russian bombings at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion. (Dominika Zarzycka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
The U.S. State Department and the German Marshall Fund (GMF) introduced the Ukraine Cities Partnership (UCP) for Sustainable Urban Recovery on March 6, according to a State Department announcement.
This public-private initiative will assist in redesigning and rebuilding up to three Ukrainian cities, with a focus on sustainability and resilience.
The damage to Ukrainian cities caused by Russia's war will cost an estimated $486 billion in reconstruction, according to a February report from the World Bank. The damage is concentrated in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Kyiv oblasts.
According to the press release, the State Department and GMF will bring together experts and funders from the private sector, NGOs, and universities to collaborate on the Ukraine Cities Partnership.
The UCP will actively participate and collaborate with the Ukrainian government, the EU, multilateral development banks, and bilateral donors. Its aim is to assist the recipient cities in securing the necessary resources for their reconstruction.
The announcement did not specify which three cities the project would assist.
The UCP is set to officially launch in Berlin in June, at the Ukraine Recovery Conference, and the project has a three-year timeline.
Dominic Culverwell
