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.
Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
The U.S. will allocate $6 billion for military assistance for Ukraine under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), the U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on April 26 after the U.S.-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) meeting, also known as the Ramstein format.
"This is the largest security assistance package that we have committed today," Austin said during the press conference, adding that it will allow the U.S. "to procure new capabilities for Ukraine" from its own industry.
The newly announced military aid package includes interceptors for Patriot and NASAMS air defense systems, anti-drone systems, and support equipment, according to Austin.
The U.S. Defense Secretary also said that the package contains a "significant amount" of artillery ammunition, as well as air-to-ground weaponry, without specifying the numbers.
After the press conference, the U.S. Defense Department also published the extended list of military aid to be provided to Kyiv through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
Apart from those items Austin unveiled, the package also includes munitions for laser-guided rocket systems, rockets for HIMARS launchers, multi-mission and counter-artillery radars, precision aerial and demolition munitions, Switchblade and Puma Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), 155 mm and 152 mm artillery rounds, among others.
Politico previously reported on April 25 that the U.S. was preparing to announce a new weapons contract worth around $6 billion in military aid to Kyiv. The weapon supplies are not expected to reach Ukraine for "several years" since the funding is allocated under the USAI.
Instead of sending Ukraine weapons from current U.S. stocks, the USAI requires the Pentagon to send contracts to U.S. defense companies to produce new supplies.
Austin also announced on April 26 that the U.S. would provide Ukraine with a $1 billion military aid package containing ammunition for HIMARS, 155 mm ammunition, air defense interceptors, and armored vehicles.
The Pentagon previously said it was ready to send $1 billion of weapons from U.S. stockpiles to Kyiv after U.S. President Joe Biden on April 20 signed the long-delayed foreign aid bill, which includes $60.84 billion for Ukraine.
While aid stalled amid months of political infighting, Russia took advantage of Ukraine's growing battlefield ammunition shortages, capturing the city of Avdiivka in February.
The lack of air defense systems has also become urgent for Kyiv as Russian troops continue to intensify attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. In March, Russian strikes reportedly damaged or completely destroyed 80% of the thermal generating capacity of DTEK, Ukraine's largest private energy company.
Chris York
