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.
The Canadian National Flag in Edmonton, Canada, on October 26, 2023. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, ratified on April 10 the updated free trade agreement between Canada and Ukraine, lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak said.
The original free trade agreement between Canada and Ukraine was signed in 2016 and came into effect a year later, removing most of the customs duties on mutual trade.
During President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Canada in September 2023, an updated deal was signed between the two governments. The Canadian parliament ratified the updated deal between February and March 2024.
Ukraine's Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko called it "one of the most modern trade agreements in the world."
The agreement was a matter of some controversy in Canada, as the opposition Conservative Party voted against it. The party's leader, Pierre Poilievre, claimed that the bill would force Ukraine to adopt a carbon tax.
In turn, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Conservatives of abandoning Ukraine by voting against the deal, an accusation that Poilievre rejected.
The bill does not include such an obligation but says that the two countries should "promote" carbon pricing and mitigation. Ukraine has a carbon tax in place since 2011.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Kateryna Hodunova
