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.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv as EU officials prepare to approve both new defense aid and steps toward establishing a tribunal for Russian leadership.
The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
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.
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.
U.S. President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Jan. 20, 2025. (Jim Watson / AFP via Getty Images)
Ukraine and the U.S. may sign a minerals deal on April 24, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters on April 17.
"We have a minerals deal, which I guess is going to be signed on Thursday, next Thursday," Trump said during a press conference with Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the White House.
"And I assume they’re going to live up to the deal," he added.
Trump's statement came nearly an hour after President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Ukrainian and American sides were holding talks on the deal and a related memorandum could be signed online on April 17.
Earlier this week, U.S. and Ukrainian delegates held consultations on the deal in Washington. The sides have made "significant progress," Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said.
A map showing the location of critical raw materials in Ukraine. (The Kyiv Independent)
"We have now agreed with the U.S. side to affirm this positive development by a relevant memorandum of intent — we are preparing a formal conclusion of the deal in the near future," she said.
According to earlier reporting, the U.S. proposal would grant extensive control to a joint investment fund managed by Washington, with no offer of security guarantees in return. The Trump administration has framed the deal as a way to recoup the billions of dollars in military and financial aid provided to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
Bloomberg reported earlier on April 16 that the U.S. has softened its "maximalist" demands, lowering the payback it seeks for the provided aid from $300 billion to $100 billion. While the latter sum is closer to Kyiv's estimates of the supplied assistance, Zelensky has stressed that Ukraine does not see the aid sent by the Biden administration as debt.
The original framework agreement was expected to be signed during Zelensky's visit to Washington on Feb. 28, but the plan fell apart following a heated Oval Office dispute with Trump and U.S. Vice President JD Vance. Zelensky left without finalizing the deal.
Ukraine has since hired the American-British law firm Hogan Lovells to advise on the negotiations.
Nina L. Khrushcheva
