(Updated: )Victory Day
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Friday, May 9
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.
Friday, May 9
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.
(Updated: )
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.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
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Ukraine’s navy: 8 Russian warships on combat duty in Black Sea, no Kalibr missile carriers spotted
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The Ukrainian Navy reported on Dec. 11 that there were eight Russian warships on combat duty in the Black Sea but no Kalibr cruise missile carriers were spotted among them. Kalibr is one of the main types of missiles that Russia has been using against Ukraine.
A week ago, the navy reported that four Russian ships carrying 24 Kalibr missiles had been spotted in the Black Sea.
In the Azov Sea, Russia “continues to control sea communications” by keeping two of its warships on alert, according to Ukraine’s navy. It added that in the Mediterranean Sea, five of the nine Russian warships spotted were carrying Kalibr missiles – totaling 76.
Russia has been bolstering its naval presence in the Mediterranean Sea almost as “an outer defense layer for Russia’s naval operations in the Black Sea,” according to The Royal Institute for International Relations, an independent Brussels-based think tank.
Russia had positioned its naval forces in the eastern Mediterranean even before launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine due to what it views as “deterrence measures” from NATO fleets.
The Black Sea, meanwhile, has served as one of Russia’s major bases to launch attacks on Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 11 that Russia had fired more than 4,500 missiles against Ukraine since February, and “every fifth of them was launched from a sea.”
The president added that the Ukrainian fleet had lost 80% of its warships since Russia occupied Crimea in 2014.
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