The approval marks a key step in international efforts to hold Moscow accountable for what is considered the gravest violation of international law committed against Ukraine.
Although Moscow declared on April 28 that it would halt all military actions from May 8 to midnight on May 11 to mark Victory Day, strikes on civilian areas have continued.
Under Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's rule, millions of Ukrainians died during the Holodomor, a man-made famine in 1932–1933. The dictator also oversaw mass deportations, purges of Ukrainian intellectuals and leaders, and the suppression of the Ukrainian language and culture.
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.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv as EU officials prepare to approve both new defense aid and steps toward establishing a tribunal for Russian leadership.
The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
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.
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."
Refugees from Ukraine stand on a platform at the Messebahnhof Laatzen station in Laatzen, Germany, after their arrival on April 15, 2023. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Michael Matthey/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Millions of Ukrainian refugees are still abroad or displaced within Ukraine, and the UN's High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Feb. 20 that U.S. funding is vital to maintain the UN's refugee support programs.
The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated in January 2024 that some 14.6 million Ukrainians, approximately 40% of the population, need humanitarian assistance. This figure does not include the estimated 6.3 million Ukrainians forced to flee abroad.
The UNHCR released a report on Feb. 20 detailing the situation regarding Ukrainian refugees and appealed for $993 million to fund its support for those displaced by the full-scale war.
Around $600 million was requested to assist Ukrainian internally displaced people (IDPs) and the remaining funds for those abroad. The UNHCR said that only 13% of its support programs for Ukrainian refugees are currently funded.
"Unless timely funding is received, we may be forced to cut essential activities in Ukraine and in neighboring countries," the report said.
Philippe Leclerc, the UNHCR regional director for Europe, said in a briefing on Feb. 20 that some 30% of the UNHCR's funding comes from the U.S.
U.S. aid for Ukraine, including humanitarian assistance, has been at an impasse in Congress for months, largely over domestic political issues unrelated to Ukraine. The Senate passed a $95 billion funding package earlier in February that included $60 billion in aid for Ukraine, but U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has so far declined to bring it to a vote in the House.
"The U.S. State Department is supposed to get additional budget possibilities, including for the aid to Ukraine, which has not yet been voted by Congress. Obviously part of that support could possibly go to (the) UNHCR and other UN agencies to support refugees in Ukraine," Leclerc said.
The UNHCR report found that a majority of Ukrainian refugees abroad and IDPs still want to return home, but many are concerned about the insecure situation regarding the war, as well as "a lack of economic opportunities and housing."
More than half of Ukrainian refugees interviewed by the UNHCR who returned home said that "there were fewer job opportunities than they thought there would be."
The UN requested $4.2 billion in January 2024 to help Ukrainian refugees and IDPs.
Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Lance Luo
