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.
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Friday, May 9
"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.
Friday, May 9
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.
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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.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
The shooting occurred around 3:22 p.m. local time in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, a residential area in Bucha district, according to the Kyiv regional police.
Since the summer of 2022, Russia has been enhancing the security of its naval base at Sevastopol, according to a June 23 report by the U.K. Defense Ministry.
New defenses include at least four layers of nets and booms at the harbor entrance, as well as an increased number of trained marine animals such as dolphins, the ministry said.
"Imagery shows a near doubling of floating mammal pens in the harbor which highly likely contain bottle-nosed dolphins," the report said.
The ministry reminded that the Russian military uses other trained animals, such as Beluga whales and seals in the Arctic. The animals at Sevastopol are likely intended to counter enemy divers, according to the report.
The U.K. Defense Ministry has indicated earlier that Russian forces are preparing for a possible Ukrainian counterattack against occupied Crimea. Local proxies are reportedly raising paramilitary forces and the military is fortifying approaches toward the peninsula, the U.K. intelligence said.
Sevastopol, the largest city on the occupied peninsula, hosts the main base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Moscow had used the base under a lease agreement with Ukraine before illegally annexing the peninsula in 2014.
Ukraine war latest: Military reports advance in the south, says ‘biggest strike still ahead’
Key developments on June 20: * Russian forces attack first responders in Kherson Oblast, killing 1, injuring 7 * Ukrainian forces reportedly advance south as fierce fighting is ongoing * Evacuation in flooded Kherson Oblast finished, emergency service says * Biden: Threat of Russia using tactic…
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