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 has arrested more than 160,000 tons of iron ore which was stored in underground warehouses at several of Ukraine’s seaports, the country’s Security Service (SBU) reported. The seized assets, worth about $54 million (almost Hr 2 billion), belonged to a company owned by Alisher Usmanov, a Russian oligarch from Kremlin’s inner circle, according to law enforcement.
SBU wrote that Usmanov’s company had tried to illegally transport hidden iron ore to Russia for the needs of its metallurgical industry and the military-industrial complex.
However, the Prosecutor General’s Office, under the procedural guidance of which the investigation is carried out, contradicted the SBU's statement, saying that the materials were not supposed to be transferred abroad.
Instead, “a legal entity registered in an EU country, together with Russian companies affiliated with” Usmanov shipped the goods to Ukrainian businesses without paying customs payments and taxes. They used the mechanism of the so-called “interrupted transit,” according to the prosecutors.
In this way, Usmanov’s company caused more than $3.2 million (Hr 118 million) in losses to the Ukrainian state, Prosecutor General's Office added.
When asked by the Kyiv Independent about the contradiction in two reports, the Prosecutor General's Office press service couldn't explain it. The SBU press service couldn't be reached immediately.
After the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine started on Feb. 24, Alisher Usmanov was sanctioned by Ukraine, the U.S., and the EU.
