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.
China's Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong in Manila, the Philippines, on 24 March, 2023. (Francis R. Malasig/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Ukraine's ambassador to China, Pavlo Riabikin, confirmed that China had been invited to participate in talks on Ukraine's peace formula, Riabikin said on Jan. 31. The statement came after Riabikin met with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong on Jan. 29.
China and Russia have strengthened their economic and political ties amid a Western push to isolate Moscow following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. China has offered to mediate the conflict but has not condemned Russia's actions and repeatedly abstained from voting in UN resolutions on the war in Ukraine.
Deputy Presidential Office head Ihor Zhovkva said in an interview with Reuters on Jan. 26 that Ukraine had invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to participate in the upcoming Global Peace Summit in Switzerland aimed at building support for the Ukrainian peace formula.
Since President Volodymyr Zelensky presented a 10-point peace plan in November 2022, there have been four advisory meetings on the level of national security advisers. China was present only at one of them.
Zelensky's peace plan calls for an end to ecocide in Ukraine, punishing those responsible for war crimes, withdrawing all Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine, restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, and the release of all prisoners of war and deportees.
The proposal also includes measures to ensure energy and food security, as well as nuclear safety.
Riabikin did not comment on whether the Chinese side had accepted the invitation.
The invitation was not mentioned in a statement published by the Chinese Foreign Ministry about the meeting, which referred to the full-sale war in Ukraine as the "Ukraine crisis."
The Kyiv Independent news desk
