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.
President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas in Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine, on April 24, 2023. (Photo: President's Office)
Ukraine and Estonia have started work on a draft bilateral security agreement, the Presidential Office said on March 19.
In lieu of NATO membership, Kyiv is seeking to sign similar agreements with as many of its Western allies as possible as it fights Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Negotiations with Estonia are being conducted by a Ukrainian delegation headed by the head of the Office of the Head of State Andriy Yermak. The Estonian delegation is headed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Küllike Syllaste-Elling.
While the details of the agreement with Estonia have yet to be negotiated, those already signed are 10-year deals pledging billions of euros in military aid and support.
France committed to deliver more munitions and provide up to 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion) in military aid to Ukraine in 2024.
Speaking on March 19, Estonia’s deputy head of the Office of the President, Ihor Zhovkva, who is also involved in negotiations, said: “It is important to conclude strong security agreements with all the Baltic countries, which provide us with enormous - relative to their GDP - assistance.
“Since Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania also border the aggressor, our security obligations should definitely be mutual.”
Estonia has been one of the leading military donors to Ukraine in terms of share of GDP since the beginning of the all-out war in 2022. Tallinn pledged in January to allocate 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) for Kyiv until the year 2027, a major commitment from a country of 1.3 million people.
Nate Ostiller
