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."
A U.S. soldier watches parcels being delivered on a tarmac. U.S. lawmakers introduced a bill to boost the U.S. defense budget in favor of Ukraine on Dec. 15, reaching $450 million to be allocated in 2022. (Ukrainian Ministry of Defense)
Nine U.S. lawmakers introduced a bill on Dec. 15 allocating $450 million to increase material support for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including funding for weaponry, training, and military reform in 2022.
The Guaranteeing Ukraine’s Autonomy by Reinforcing its Defense Act (GUARD Act) includes $100 million for anti-air defense and anti-ship missiles to deter a Russian invasion that may be coming this winter.
The bill would authorize provision of lethal assistance like mortars, grenade launchers, anti-tank missile systems, small arms, and ammunition for all of the above. Funding would also go towards training and military reforms.
“As Ukraine faces yet another build-up of Russian troops on its border and the threat of a mid-January invasion, the United States should be doing everything it can right now to deter Russia and provide Ukraine the supplies and support it needs to defend itself,” said Republican Senator Jim Risch, who sponsored the bill.
Provisions include strengthening sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to Germany, which has to date evaded the U.S.'s most serious sanctions due to the decisions of U.S. President Joe Biden's administration. The U.S. and European allies have recently discussed shutting down Nord Stream 2 as one possible punishment in the event of an invasion.
Finally, the bill would designate Russia as "a state sponsor of terrorism" if it further invades Ukraine.
Congress previously allocated $300 million in military aid to Ukraine as part of the annual defense bill, approved by the House on Dec. 7 and by the Senate on Dec. 15.
The U.S. has invested over $2.5 billion in Ukraine’s security since 2014, when Russia illegally annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and sparked a war in Donbas that has killed more than 13,000 people and displaced at least 1.5 million people.
The defense bill was introduced shortly after Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin spoke for two hours about Russia's buildup on Dec. 7.
The latest security crisis unfolded in November when domestic and foreign intelligence reports indicated that Russia was amassing nearly 100,000 troops near Ukraine and in occupied territories.
These findings greatly alarmed Kyiv and the West about a potential large-scale military invasion of Ukraine.
According to the Ukrainian intelligence, Russia might try to seize much of Ukraine’s territory in the south and east up to the Dnipro River in early 2022.
Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Dec. 3 that the invasion is probable though not yet imminent.
Alexander Query is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent. He is the former business editor at the Kyiv Post. He worked as a TV correspondent and an anchorman at UATV in Ukraine, and received a BA in modern literature from La Sorbonne, in Paris.
