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.
Lawmakers urged the EU and its member states to step up efforts to hold Moscow accountable through international courts and support for Ukraine’s campaign to bring its children home.
The Kyiv Independent’s Chris York sat down with author, historian, and Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9, which mark the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II, are one of the country’s biggest public events of the year. President of the Ukrainian Society of Switzerland Andrej Lushnycky who sheds some light on the things Putin would rather you didn’t know about World War II.
The European Commission projects a Ukrainian flag on the front of the EU Commission headquarters to commemorate 1,000 days of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Nov. 18, 2024 in Brussels, Belgium. (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)
Ukraine on Nov. 19 marked 1,000 days of full-scale war with Russia.
Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, extending their aggression beyond the occupied Donbas region in an attempt to bring the entire country under Moscow's control.
"For 1,000 days, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been confronting the enemy on the front line, which stretches over 1,000 kilometers," Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Nov. 19.
"In the frozen trenches of Donetsk Oblast and in the burning steppes of Kherson Oblast under shells, hail, and anti-aircraft guns, we are fighting for the right to life. For us and our children."
The milestone comes as Ukraine braces for a difficult and uncertain winter. Russia on Nov. 17 launched one of its largest aerial attacks yet against Ukraine's energy grid, leaving civilians dead and injured across multiple regions.
The future of U.S. military aid to Ukraine is also in question, as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office in January.
Meanwhile, thousands of Russian and North Korean forces have amassed in Russia's Kursk Oblast, preparing to launch a counteroffensive against Ukrainian troops. The escalating situation in Kursk reportedly prompted U.S. President Joe Biden to grant Ukraine permission to use American long-range weapons on Russian territory.
"Every dark night, even if there are a thousand of them, always ends with dawn," Syrskyi said.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
