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.
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.
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.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the U.S. had shared the written response to Kremlin's security demands with Ukraine prior to sending it over to Moscow.
"We had seen the written response of the U.S. before it was handed over to Russia. No objections on the Ukrainian side," Kuleba wrote on Twitter on Jan. 27.
https://twitter.com/dmytrokuleba/status/1486680531169431555?s=21
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken responded to Kuleba's remarks saying "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine."
Meanwhile, the Kremlin expressed its disappointment over the U.S. and NATO's written response to Russia’s demands to halt potential NATO expansion eastward, delivered to Moscow on Jan. 26.
“There was no positive answer to the main question,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Jan. 27.
However, Moscow also indicated it will keep communication channels open with NATO and the U.S. for now. “There is a response which gives hope for the start of a serious conversation on secondary questions,” Lavrov said.
The U.S. response has not been made public.
Blinken said the response contains offers of a diplomatic path to de-escalating tensions over Ukraine by addressing some of Russia’s concerns.
The U.S. didn’t cave in to Russia’s demand for a guarantee that NATO won’t expand in eastern Europe, Blinken said at a news briefing on Jan. 26. “We will uphold the principle of NATO’s open-door policy,” he said.
NATO followed suit, saying that it will not compromise on its key principles.
“We cannot and will not compromise on the principles on which the security of our alliance, and security in Europe and North America rest,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in Brussels.
The Kremlin’s ultimatum came amid the most recent escalation of Russia’s war against Ukraine, which killed over 13,000 people since 2014.
According to the latest intelligence data, Moscow has concentrated over 120,000 troops in regions surrounding Ukraine, and also deployed a large number of combat-ready weaponry and military hardware from its distant districts.
