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.
Russian state-backed mercenary Wagner Group, fighting in Ukraine's east, has opened new recruitment centers in 42 Russian cities, the group's founder Yevgeny Prigozhin said on March 10.
According to a statement published by Prigozhin's holding company, Concord, most of the alleged recruitment centers have been opened in Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
The Kremlin-controlled mercenary group Wagner, along with the Russian regular forces, have been attempting to capture Ukraine's eastern city of Bakhmut for months as Moscow tries to consolidate its grip over the entirety of Donetsk Oblast, around half of which it currently controls.
On the same day, Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesperson for the eastern grouping of Ukraine's Armed Forces, said, as cited by CNN, that a third wave of Wagner troops fighting in the Bakhmut area was being replaced by the regular Russian army.
"The first wave, which began last February, consisted of the professional military, people associated with the FSB, and the Interior Ministry. The second wave of Wagner consisted of those mobilized from prisons, who were almost all wiped out during the so-called 'meat assaults,' when Wagner tried to break through the defenses with live fire," Cherevatyi explained.
"Now we see the replacement of Wagner's group by the regular army. This is probably due to Prigozhin's conflict with the leadership of the Russian army."
Prigozhin has intensified his rivalry with the Russian Defense Ministry over the past month. According to the Institute for the Study of War, he is trying to establish his mercenary group as an independent elite force in his quest for power in Russia.
