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.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on allies to allocate additional aid to support Ukraine’s critical infrastructure this winter amid Russia’s continuous mass missile strikes.
“Such electricity supply support could cost around 800 million euros ($843 million) at current prices. This is significant. But significantly less than what a blackout in Ukraine could cost us all,” Zelensky said in a virtual address to the participants of the "In solidarity with the Ukrainian People" conference held in Paris on Dec. 13.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine needs various equipment such as transformers, gas turbines, gas piston power units, and equipment for restoring high-voltage networks. The country also requires support in purchasing about two billion cubic meters of gas.
Zelensky urged the European Union to send special observation missions to the critical infrastructure sites in Ukraine, “which are involved in the energy supply of Ukraine and on which the stability of our entire region directly depends.”
“And we need a special permanent mechanism for coordinating efforts — the Paris Mechanism. This will make it possible to provide timely and effective responses to every challenge of Russian energy terror,” Zelensky said.
Earlier on Dec. 12, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Ukraine needs as much as $1 billion to restore critical infrastructure quickly to get through the winter.
Shmyhal also said that, by attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, Russia is trying to “flood” the European Union with a new wave of refugees, noting that the strikes led to electricity and water supply outages that affected millions of Ukrainians amid freezing weather.
Shmyhal earlier warned of “significant” energy cuts this winter after Russia’s missile blitz damaged “all thermal and hydroelectric power plants” across the country.
Since Oct. 10, Moscow has unleashed six large-scale strikes targeting Ukraine’s energy sector, killing dozens of civilians and causing emergency blackouts across the country.
Russia has fired over 1,000 missiles and loitering munitions at energy infrastructure nationwide over the last two months, Volodymyr Kudrytsky, CEO of Ukraine’s state grid operator Ukrenergo, said on Dec. 9.
The most recent nationwide attack on Ukraine occurred on Dec. 5, killing four and hitting energy sites in at least three regions.
