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 aftermath of a Russian attack on Bilopillia in Sumy Oblast on April 8. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Sumy Oblast Military Administration/Telegram)
Russian forces attacked nine communities in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy Oblast on April 26, killing two and injuring five civilians, the regional administration reported. At least 85 explosions were reported over the past 24 hours.
Russia struck the region at least 24 times, targeting the communities of Khotin, Yunakivka, Bilopillia, Vorozhba, Krasnopillia, Nova Sloboda, Shalyhyne, Seredyna-Buda as well as the regional capital of Sumy.
Throughout the day, Russia assailed the region with mortar, artillery, grenade launcher, and drone attacks. Several unguided rockets targeted the town of Bilopillia and surrounding areas, according to the Sumy Oblast Military Administration.
A two-hour Russian attack on Bilopillia damaged a high-rise building and several private residences. Two women aged 77 and 69 were killed, the Interior Ministry reported earlier.
Bilopillia, with a pre-war population of about 7,700 residents, experienced the bulk of the attacks, with 32 explosions reported in the area. The town is located a mere eight kilometers south of the Ukraine-Russia border.
Sumy Oblast borders Russia's Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod oblasts. Russian attacks against the region have become increasingly destructive in recent weeks, killing and injuring civilians.
Olena Goncharova is the Head of North America desk at The Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a development manager and Canadian correspondent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper’s Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Olena has a master’s degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months. The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.
Dinara Khalilova
