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.
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.
The shooting occurred around 3:22 p.m. local time in Sofiivska Borshchahivka, a residential area in Bucha district, according to the Kyiv regional police.
Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi at the funeral of a Ukrainian soldier in early March 2023 in Kyiv. (Yurii Stefanyak/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Ukraine downed a record number of Kh-47M2 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles that Russia launched against the country on Jan. 2, Ukraine's Commander in Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi reported. The Air Force intercepted all 10 Kinzhals Russia launched on Jan. 2, using the U.S.-designed Patriot air defense systems.
If the missiles hit their targets, the consequences would have been catastrophic, Zaluzhnyi wrote on X.
Russia launched at least 99 missiles on the morning of Jan. 2, targeting Kyiv, the surrounding region, and Kharkiv. The attack killed 5 people and injured 127, including children, as of 5 p.m.
The Air Force reported earlier that 72 Russian missiles were shot down, along with all of the 35 Shahed "kamikaze" drones that Russia used to attack the country earlier in the night.
On X, Zaluzhnyi thanked Ukraine’s allies for providing the air defense systems but said that the country needs more systems.
"There is no reason to believe that the enemy will stop here. Therefore, we need more systems and munition for them," he wrote.
Earlier in the day, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics called for more air defense systems for Ukraine.
Nauseda wrote on X that "Ukrainians do wonders with the air defense the West has provided, but they need more." "Air defense systems to Ukraine now!"
Rinkevics also wrote that "Ukrainian air defense works well, but Ukraine must get more help."
"New Year’s celebrations are over and the West must get serious and act now," Rinkevics posted on X.
Daria Shulzhenko is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent. She has been a lifestyle reporter at the Kyiv Post until November 2021. She graduated from Kyiv International University with a bachelor’s in linguistics, specializing in translation from English and German languages. She has previously worked as a freelance writer and researcher.
Daria Shulzhenko
