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. 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.
Illustrative image: Satellite images show the extent of flooding caused by the Kakhovka dam breach in occupied Oleshky, Kherson Oblast. (Source: Planet Labs)
Ukraine is working to limit satellite mapping of Ukrainian territory, amid concerns of intelligence leaks that would benefit Russian forces, Ukraine's Defense Ministry announced on May 1.
"Every day, satellite companies take images of Ukrainian territory. These images can be used by the enemy," Deputy Defense Minister Kateryna Chernohorenko said in a statement. "In times of war, we must minimize the risks of the enemy using images of Ukraine."
Ukraine's Defense Ministry said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with unnamed satellite imaging companies limiting the distribution of imaging to ensure Russia did not have access to mapping.
The Defense Ministry also stated that it had reached an agreement with an imaging company, which went unnamed for security reasons, to provide high-resolution imaging for security and defense purposes. The unnamed company is the "only satellite company" in the world to provide daily imaging of territory with a resolution of three to five meters, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported.
Previously, satellite images could have been ordered by Russia through shell companies, evading detection. It is unclear whether there have been any such instances.
The EU is also considering sanctioning a number of Chinese and Hong Kong-based companies who have allegedly provided Russia with satellite images, Bloomberg reported on April 23.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
