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.
The delivery of the promised F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands to Ukraine will start sometime in the next year, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said in an interview with MSNBC on Sept. 26.
The minister estimated that the training of Ukrainian pilots on the fourth-generation jets could take six to eight months, which is a shorter period than the usual training of Dutch pilots.
She, however, emphasized that the exact timeline is not clear, adding that other staff, such as technicians, must be trained as well to maintain the aircraft.
Ollongren told MNSBC that Denmark had already launched its training for Ukrainian pilots, adding that the U.S. would soon begin as well and the Netherlands is preparing a training center in Romania.
The minister noted that the Netherlands, as well as Denmark and Norway, are able to provide Ukraine with F-16s because their air forces are transitioning to newer F-35 aircraft.
Ukraine has been long seeking to obtain modern Western fighter jets to gain an edge against Russian forces in the sky. According to Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat, deploying F-16s on the battlefield could change the course of the war.
The Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway have so far confirmed they will send their F-16 fighters to Ukraine.
Copenhagen said earlier that Ukraine could receive the first batch of six Danish F-16s already by the New Year. However, former Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov estimated in August that it will take at least six to seven months before Ukrainian military staff is ready to receive the jets.
The training of Ukrainian pilots began in Denmark this August in partnership with other nations of the "fighter jet coalition." Washington later announced that it would launch its own training sessions for Ukrainian aviators in October.
