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 shooting occurred around 3:22 p.m. local time in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, a residential area in Bucha district, according to the Kyiv regional police.
Activists and relatives of Ukrainian POWs hold up banners and urge for the return of Ukrainian soldiers from Russian captivity during the rally organized in the neighborhood of Lukianivska on June 9, 2024 in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Photo by hurricanehank/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Ukraine has 55,000 citizens in its unified register for persons missing under special circumstances, Deputy Interior Minister Leonid Tymchenko told Ukrinform in an interview published on Sept. 26.
The register includes people who have disappeared due to war, occupation, or natural and man-made disasters.
The figure underscores the humanitarian impact of Russia's full-scale war, which has brought illegal deportations, kidnappings, and a large number of deaths among both the military and civilians in Ukraine.
"The register contains information about 55,000 people. Most of them are military personnel. This figure is quite dynamic: when the whereabouts of missing persons are established, in some cases, it turns out that a citizen, for example, is in captivity," Tymchenko said.
"Unfortunately, we also identify the dead among those who were considered missing," he added.
The latest figure shows a considerable growth since July, when the Interior Ministry revealed that 42,000 Ukrainians were considered missing.
This number does not include Ukrainian children forcibly deported to Russia, Belarus, or occupied territories, whose numbers exceed 19,500.
Daria Svitlyk
