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.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Australia on March 19 condemned the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) for broadcasting "The Other Side" on March 18, a documentary that purports to show Russia's invasion of Ukraine from the perspective of Russian soldiers.
The program "was the journalistic equivalent of a bowl of vomit," and ABC "should be ashamed that it put such total garbage to air," the embassy said.
The film was first broadcast in the U.K. on Feb. 19 by British channel ITV, which described the film as a "groundbreaking documentary offering a rare and human perspective on life on the Russian frontline."
The documentary follows British journalist Sean Langan's visits to the Russian side of the front line in Russian-occupied Donbas between the autumn of 2022 and the spring of 2023.
Langan speaks to Russian soldiers, offering a "rare insight" into their lives, ABC said in a statement. "It adds to our understanding of this tragic conflict and shows the full, horrific impact of the war."
The embassy said that Langan's film "unquestioningly repeated and aired countless blatant lies, historical distortions, racist claims, and propaganda narratives emanating from the Kremlin."
Elsa Court
One soldier Langan interviews claims that "Russians never wanted war," and blames Ukraine for the ongoing invasion.
"We could have just sat together with an accordion, a balalaika, playing music and drinking vodka, but they don't want to," he tells the camera.
The Ukrainian embassy condemned the film for minimizing "the deaths of thousands of innocent Ukrainian men, women, and children who have been killed by Russian soldiers in an illegal and brutal invasion."
In the film, Langan speaks to a Russian soldier who says he was in Bucha in Kyiv Oblast at the start of the full-scale invasion, where hundreds of civilians were killed under Russian occupation.
The Ukrainian Embassy said it has asked for a meeting with the managing director of ABC "to understand what process led to the airing of this pro-Putin and pro-violence propaganda piece by Australia's national broadcaster."
Kate Tsurkan
