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.
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.
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.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
Ukraine and Poland opened two new pedestrian refugee crossings overnight, reducing the long queues of people fleeing on foot, according to Deputy Interior Minister Mary Akopyan.
“There are still a lot of cars,” she told the Kyiv Independent. “But the pedestrian queues are no longer so extreme.”
On Feb. 28, almost 108,000 people and 15,000 vehicles crossed Ukraine’s western borders, a 10% drop from the previous day’s numbers, Akopyan said. Currently there are about 8,000 cars in the queues.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said on Feb. 28 that about 520,000 people had fled the country into bordering nations like Poland, Hungary, Moldova, Romania and Slovakia since the start of Russia’s invasion.
Thousands more have been trying to get through the clogged borders, waiting for hours in cars or on foot, with only minimal belongings.
Akopyan recommended for people thinking of crossing into Poland to consider other neighboring countries to reduce the load.
Meanwhile, 80,000 Ukrainians returned to the country, most of them men, to join the fight against Russia, the deputy minister said.
CNN reported that foreign students trying to leave the country experienced racist treatment by Ukrainian security forces and border officials, with some being ordered off buses so only Ukrainians could evacuate the country. CNN also reported allegations of violence towards foreigners attempting to leave.
Akopyan denied that border guards have taken part in the above. She added that if these incidents happened, they may have been perpetrated by Territorial Defense units or “self-organized” groups that don’t understand that foreign men are allowed to leave the country.
Other media, including the New York Times reported similar problems for foreigners trying to exit the country.
