Although Moscow declared on April 28 that it would halt all military actions from May 8 to midnight on May 11 to mark Victory Day, strikes on civilian areas have continued.
Under Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin's rule, millions of Ukrainians died during the Holodomor, a man-made famine in 1932–1933. The dictator also oversaw mass deportations, purges of Ukrainian intellectuals and leaders, and the suppression of the Ukrainian language and culture.
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.
Delegations from 35 countries and the Council of Europe gathered in Lviv as EU officials prepare to approve both new defense aid and steps toward establishing a tribunal for Russian leadership.
The ruling marks a significant victory for RFE/RL amid growing concerns about U.S. funding cuts to independent media countering Russian disinformation.
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.
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.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (L) and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R) shake hands during a meeting at Kumsusan Palace in Pyongyang, North Korea on May 31, 2018. (Russian Foreign Press and Information Office/ Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
The increased military cooperation between Russia and North Korea could "drastically" influence the type of security threats emanating from North Korea over the coming decade, said Pranay Vaddi, the White House's senior director for arms control in an interview with the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank on Jan. 18.
Moscow and Pyongyang have significantly increased their military ties since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia's newfound pariah status that followed the outbreak of full-scale war has forced the country to seek new allies, and as a major producer of military hardware and similarly isolated country, North Korea has allegedly used the partnership to further its own military goals.
"What we're seeing between Russia and North Korea is an unprecedented level of cooperation in the military sphere," Vaddi said. "And I say unprecedented very deliberately - We have never seen this before."
North Korea has supplied Russia with around one million rounds of ammunition, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s military intelligence said on Jan. 15.
The nature of the relationship is increasingly becoming a two-way-street, said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in which Russia provides North Korea with advanced military technology and long-range attack capacity, potentially including ballistic missiles and nuclear capabilities in exchange for the shells and missiles.
In the short term, this cooperation has already been felt in Ukraine, where Russia has allegedly used North Korean-supplied ballistic missiles in attacks on the country.
It is over the next decade that the impact of the partnership could become increasingly noticeable in the Pacific region, Vaddi said.
The U.S. has a long-standing military alliance with South Korea and Japan that has been historically focused on the threats stemming from North Korea. Vaddi said that the three countries will need to work together to ensure that their "extended deterrence" was strong enough to hamper North Korea's hostile behavior in the region.
The North Korean state-run Korean Central News Agency claimed on Jan. 19 that the country's military had tested an "underwater nuclear weapons system" in response to recent joint military drills held between the U.S., Japan, and South Korea.
The system allegedly tested was an unmanned nuclear-capable attack drone known as the "Haiel." North Korea has previously claimed it tested the drone.
The nuclear envoys of the U.S., South Korea, and Japan met in Seoul on Jan. 18 and jointly condemned North Korea's military activity and weapons trade with Russia.
The U.S. and nearly 50 countries earlier called for an immediate end to the delivery of weapons from Pyongyang to Moscow.
Katie Marie Davies
