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.
U.K. Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific region Anne-Marie Trevelyan, whose portfolio includes sanctions management, speaking at the second day of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London on June 22, 2023. (Dan Kitwood / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
The U.K. government announced 46 new sanctions on Dec. 6 against businesses and individuals located around the world that continue to bolster Russia's war effort.
The new sanctions target Russia's military-industrial complex and its foreign suppliers, entities and individuals associated with the Wagner Group, and four United Arab Emirates-based companies that help Russia evade sanctions on the trade of oil above the $60 per barrel price cap.
The Financial Times reported on Nov. 14 that the vast majority of Russian oil has been selling above the price cap.
According to the officials, the price cap initially saw some success after it was first introduced in December 2022, but Russia has since found ways to bypass it, and the price per barrel has likely returned on average to its pre-war status of roughly $80 per barrel.
The bulk of the new sanctions are directed at Russia's military-industrial complex, with 31 of the newly introduced measures aimed at businesses involved with the production and import of drones and missile parts, as well as related individuals and their immediate family members.
The newly sanctioned companies also included foreign suppliers in Serbia, Turkey, Belarus, Uzbekistan, and China.
The U.K. has now sanctioned more than 30 third-party businesses involved in supporting Russia's war, a signal of the "U.K.’s no tolerance approach to those enabling Russia’s illegal war, wherever they may be."
U.K. Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific region Anne-Marie Trevelyan said, "Today’s sanctions will hit Putin where it hurts, damaging Russian defense systems, and cracking down on illegal supply chains propping up Russia’s war machine."
The U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a similar set of sanctions on Dec. 5 targeted at an international network of weapons and military component suppliers to the Russian military-industrial complex.
Despite Western sanctions to curb Russia's ability to produce weaponry such as missiles or drones, Moscow has been reportedly circumventing them by procuring these components from third countries, such as Kyrgyzstan, Iran, or China.
Katie Marie Davies
