(Updated: )Victory Day
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Friday, May 9
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.
Friday, May 9
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.
(Updated: )
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.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
Russian forces fired more than 30 shells at Nikopol, located in Ukraine's central-eastern Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, early on May 7, killing an elderly woman and injuring three people, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhiy Lysak said on Telegram.
"Overnight, the (Russians) hit the Nikopol district twice. They used Grad multiple rocket launchers and heavy artillery. More than 30 shells were fired. A 72-year-old woman died. Three locals were injured. One suffered a head injury. Two are in a state of stress and with concussions," he wrote.
The shelling also damaged seven homes, a high rise building, smashed the windows of a college dormitory, hit three gas pipelines, a power line, 14 solar panels, farm buildings, and five cars, Lysak said.
Russian forces heavily fired at Nikopol with Grad multiple rocket launchers, wounding three civilians, Lysak also reported very early on May 6.
Located across the nearly 10-kilometer-wide Dnipro River from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Nikopol, once home to over 100,000, continues to be shelled constantly. Many civilians have been killed or wounded due to the incessant Russian attacks on the city.
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