(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.
U.S. President Joe Biden announced on June 12 that the U.S. government is extending sanctions against Belarus for an additional year over the Belarusian government's continued repressions of its citizens and support for Russia's war in Ukraine.
"The actions and policies of certain members of the Government of Belarus and other persons, and the Belarusian regime’s harmful activities and long-standing abuses, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States," Biden wrote in his message to Congress.
Belarus was first labelled a national security threat due to the government's widespread human rights abuses and pervasive corruption in the 2006 Belarus elections.
The scope of the national security threat was expanded in an executive order in August 2021 in response to reports of election fraud by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko. The sanctions were set to expire later this summer.
Belarus has been one of Russia's greatest allies and supporters since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, having supplied Russia with over 130,000 tons of ammunition over the past year.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has also used Belarus as a strategic launching point for invading Ukraine. Most recently, Putin made plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory next month.
The U.S. government called Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko "reckless and irresponsible," in regard to talking about nuclear capabilities, but said that there is no indication that the movement of Russian nuclear weapons to Belarusian territory is underway.
Belarus Weekly: We pushed Belarus toward Russia, says Macron
May 30 marks 24 years since the tragic Niamiha stampede, when thousands rushed into an underground passageway of Minsk’s Niamiha metro station, killing over 50 and injuring around 400. In a controversial speech at the 2023 Globsec summit in Bratislava, French President Emmanuel Macron claims Wester…
Maria Yeryoma
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