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.
Metropolitan Onufriy and clergy are seen during a celebration at the Sviatohirsk Lavra of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) on Oct. 10, 2021. Metropolitan Onufriy (Orest Berezovsky) is the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. (Photo by Andriy Andriyenko via Getty Images)
Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council has proposed banning Russian-affiliated religious groups, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on Dec. 1.
The most significant of the groups is the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, an affiliate of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The National Security and Defense Council instructed the Cabinet to draft a bill on such a ban, and the bill is expected to be considered by the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament.
"We will ensure complete independence for our state. In particular, spiritual independence," Zelensky said. "We will never allow anyone to build an empire inside the Ukrainian soul."
Zelensky also said that Ukraine would impose sanctions against priests cooperating with Russia, and their names would be publicly announced.
Recently, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) conducted multiple searches at the premises of the Russian church's Ukrainian branch.
During the latest raid on Dec. 1, the SBU found Russian propaganda and xenophobic literature at a Moscow Patriarchate monastery in Mukachevo, Zakarpattia Oblast.
The agency said it had found books of xenophobic content and brochures denying Ukraine's right to independence and stating that Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus should be part of a single political entity.
In the past week, the SBU raided at least three other buildings of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, finding Russian passports of the church's leaders and documents with pro-Russian ideological messages.
In May, the Moscow-affiliated Ukrainian church said it would have “full independence” from the Russian Orthodox Church, reacting to criticism of Russian-backed church leaders amid the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainian branch also said that it “condemns the war” and “disagrees with the position of Patriarch Kirill of Moscow on the war in Ukraine.”
However, skeptics said it was just a ploy to appease critics since the Ukrainian branch effectively remained part of the Russian church and did not declare “autocephaly” – the Orthodox term for genuine independence.
Under Orthodox rules, only one independent - or "autocephalous" - church can exist in a specific country. The Russian-backed church's full independence under Orthodox rules would imply its merger with the independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine but the Moscow-affiliated church has opposed such a unification.
Despite the Moscow-backed church's public statements about the war, its agenda remains intertwined with the Kremlin's ideology, and they officially remain subordinated to the Russian church in the hierarchy of the Orthodox world.
Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, has been vocal in his support for Russia's war against Ukraine.
During a sermon in September, he said that sacrificing life in the war against Ukraine "washes away sins."
As a result of Russia's full-scale invasion, more and more Orthodox parishes started switching from the Kremlin-backed church to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
The number of parishes leaving the Russian-affiliated church amounted to 54 in March and 104 in April, peaking at 229 in May. After that, the process slowed down.
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