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.
The German-Swedish air-to-ground cruise missile Taurus presented in a showroom at the European defense company MBDA (Matra BAe Dynamics Aerospatiale). (Photo by Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty Images)
U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps on May 19 urged Berlin and other allies to send long-range missiles to Ukraine and to allow Kyiv to hit facilities in Russian-occupied Crimea.
Ukraine has received other long-range missiles, such as the Storm Shadow from the U.K. and the French-made SCALP, and it was reported on April 25 that the U.S. had secretly sent more than 100 long-range ATACMS missiles to Kyiv.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is against sending long-range missiles to Ukraine as he fears that this will risk Berlin getting involved in the war, according to Bild's unnamed German and Ukrainian sources.
"What I would like to see are all of our partners, including Germany, who do have the facility to provide those long-range weapons but do not allow them to be used in Crimea, which is part of Ukraine," Shapps said in an interview with Sky News.
"I think those are the things that would need to happen first."
Taurus is a joint German-Swedish-made cruise missile with a range of over 500 kilometers. The Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles Ukraine currently has, as well as the newer models of ATACMS, fly up to 300 kilometers.
They are also designed to hit buried and protected targets.
These advantages would allow Kyiv to hit targets deeper inside occupied Ukraine, including the Crimean Bridge, a critical supply and transport route for Russian forces.
But their increased range would also allow strikes deep inside Russian territory, a scenario Berlin does not support.
Kateryna Denisova
