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.
Military personnel of a battalion of one of the Territorial Defense brigades undergoes combat training at a training ground in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, southeastern Ukraine, on March 14, 2023. (Dmytro Smolienko/Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Russian forces have built three lines of defensive zones across nearly 120 kilometers in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Oblast, but it is unclear if Russia can accumulate enough troops and artillery to support the defenses, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported on April 12.
Over the past weeks, Russian troops have been developing extensive defense lines in the region in preparation for Ukraine's anticipated counteroffensive towards the key city of Melitopol, according to the report. Zaporizhzhia Oblast's front line is most likely the area of responsibility of Russia's Southern Grouping of Forces (SGF).
The three-layer defensive zone recently completed by the Russian military consists of a front line with advanced combat positions and two more zones with almost continuous, more complex barricades, the ministry wrote in its latest intelligence update. The defensive lines are reportedly located about 10-20 km behind the front line.
Russia's defenses "have the potential to be formidable obstacles, but their utility almost entirely depends on them being supported by sufficient artillery and personnel," reads the update. "It remains unclear if the SGF can currently muster these resources."
Since Russia occupied large areas of Zaporizhzhia Oblast in the first phase of the full-scale war, the front line in this area has been the most static in Ukraine, in great part due to the vast, flat, open fields in the area that make large-scale offensives difficult.
Nonetheless, it is exactly here that many expect Ukraine to launch its much-anticipated counteroffensive in the late spring or early summer months, as a breakthrough in Southern Ukraine would have the greatest strategic significance, potentially cutting off Russia's land connection to Crimea and isolating its presence on the occupied peninsula.
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Alexander Query
