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.
Pete Reed, a 33-year-old U.S. volunteer aid worker, was killed in the front-line city of Bakhmut, Donetsk Oblast, “while rendering aid,” Global Response Medicine, the humanitarian aid group Reed founded, confirmed on Feb. 3.
“In January, Pete stepped away from Global Response Medicine to work with Global Outreach Doctors on their Ukraine mission and was killed while rendering aid,” the organization wrote on Instagram. The exact circumstances of Reed's death were not specificied.
“This is a stark reminder of the perils rescue and aid workers face in conflict zones as they serve citizens caught in the crossfire.”
The news of Reed's death comes around a month after British volunteers Andrew Bagshaw and Chris Parry went missing during an evacuation mission in the neighboring town of Soledar.
Several weeks later, both were confirmed by their families to have been killed in Soledar, caught up in the Russian assualt on the city.
Russian regular forces, along with Kremlin-controlled mercenary group Wagner, have been attempting to capture Bakhmut for months as Russia tries to consolidate its grip over the entirety of Ukraine's eastern Donetsk Oblast, around half of which it currently controls.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Feb. 3 that Ukraine has no intention of giving up Bakhmut.
“No one will surrender Bakhmut. We will fight as long as we can,” Zelensky said at a press conference following a historic Ukraine-EU summit in Kyiv.
According to Zelensky, Russia plans to soon launch a major offensive in the east and northeast, targeting cities like Bakhmut and Lyman.
On Feb. 2, Ukraine's defense intellifence agency issued a stark warning that Russia was redeploying additional assault groups and military equipment to capture Donbas – comprised of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts – by March.
At least 5,990 civilians, including 200 children, are still living in Bakhmut, according to local law enforcement.
Capturing Bakhmut would allow Russia to disrupt Ukraine’s supply lines in the area and gain control over a main road leading to the two large Ukrainian-held cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
