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.
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with China's President Xi Jinping at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 20, 2023. (Photo by Sergei Karpukhin/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images)
Chinese support is growing increasingly crucial for Russia's war efforts in Ukraine, according to an unclassified report by the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence released on July 27.
Based on the report, titled "Support Provided by the People's Republic of China to Russia," Beijing has increased its exports of dual-use technologies, semiconductors, and other supplies and materials that Russia uses for its war effort.
In particular, the intelligence report names "navigation equipment, jamming technology, and fighter-jet parts." Since March, China has reportedly shipped more than $12 million in drones and drone parts to Russia.
Chinese companies are also likely helping Russia to evade sanctions, and the two countries cooperate in the financial sphere to circumvent Western banking systems.
At the same time, China has increased its imports of Russian oil and gas after Europe moved to wean off the Russian energy supplies.
"Beijing is pursuing a variety of economic support mechanisms for Russia that mitigate both the impact of Western sanctions and export controls," the report said, as China "has become an even more critical economic partner for Russia" since the start of the full-scale war.
The report was published by the U.S. House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and cites open-source data and media reporting in its analysis.
While China has officially positioned itself as a neutral party in the Russia's War and called for a peaceful solution, Beijing has not denounced the Kremlin's aggression and has continued to develop close mutual ties.
U.S. officials have previously warned that China was considering providing Russia with weaponry, which the Chinese leadership has denied. According to CNN, Beijing intended to sell Russia lethal weapons after the invasion broke out but scaled back on those plans as the war progressed.
On Feb. 4, the Wall Street Journal reported that China had provided Russia's army with dual-use materials including navigation equipment, jamming technology, and fighter-jet parts.
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.
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