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.
Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine Vadym Gutzeit speaks during an interview with AFP in Kyiv on April 11, 2023, amid the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine. (Sergeu Chuzavkov/AFP via Getty Images)
Youth and Sports Minister Vadym Gutzeit submitted his resignation to the Ukrainian parliament, Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk reported on Nov. 8.
According to Stefanchuk, the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, will soon consider Gutzeit’s resignation.
Commenting on his decision, Gutzeit said he wants to concentrate on his work at Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee, which he has headed since November last year.
Gutzeit, a Ukrainian Olympic champion saber fencer, has been the Youth and Sports Minister since March 2020 and has combined the two positions for almost a year.
“During this year, there was a lot of manipulation regarding my powers, the decisions made, and the combination of these positions,” the official said on Facebook.
Gutzeit was also the chief of the Ukrainian Fencing Federation from 2017 to March 2023.
The Ukrainian media outlet LB.ua wrote in October that Gutzeit had been preparing to leave his position and the potential candidate for replacement, Anton Nikulin, had already passed the job interview. Nikulin currently heads a sports department at the Lviv City Council.
Gutzeit might have been involved in the case of alleged embezzlement of over Hr 2.2 million ($60,000) of state funds when he was the head of the youth and sports department at the Kyiv City Council from 2018 to 2020, Hromadske reported, citing court materials.
According to Hromadske, the department was purchasing boats for Kyiv athletes from an entrepreneur who was also a coach of a children's sports school controlled by the Kyiv City Council.
Commenting on the reports, Gutzeit's lawyer, Pavlo Nasadchuk, told the Ukrainska Pravda online newspaper that Gutzeit hadn't been involved in the case as a suspect and Ukrainian authorities hadn't brought any charges against the official.
"On my recommendation, the department (of the Kyiv City Council) conducted its own inspection... And at that time, it was established that the procedures (procurement) were carried out properly," reportedly said Nasadchuk.
Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.
Mark Temnycky
