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's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War said on Jan. 29 that it had restored all services following yesterday's DDoS attack.
The attack came amid an escalating cyberwar between Russia and Ukraine, with numerous large-scale cyberattacks reported by both sides.
"After a proper check by IT specialists, all services of the Coordination Headquarters, which were subjected to a DDoS attack yesterday, are working normally and are available online," the headquarters said on its Telegram channel.
The department responsible for monitoring the treatment of prisoners of war (POW) was hacked mere days after the crash of the Russian Il-76 plane in Russia's Belgorod Oblast on Jan. 24, which Moscow claims resulted in the death of 65 Ukrainian POWs.
Russia also alleges that Ukrainian forces shot down the plane.
Ukraine has not confirmed these claims and called for an international investigation, which Russia refuses. Ukrainian officials pointed out the lack of concrete evidence confirming the presence of a large number of Ukrainian POWs at the crash site.
The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War confirmed that Moscow was meant to return 65 POWs during a planned exchange on Jan. 24.
The headquarters also said it remains unclear whether the POWs in question were actually present at the crash site and warned against possible information operations by Russia.
Kateryna Denisova
