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 on Dec. 23 accused Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico of undermining Europe's efforts to become independent of Russian gas and helping Moscow to fund its war against Ukraine.
Fico met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Dec. 22 to discuss gas supplies after Kyiv said it would not extend the deal on transiting Russian gas to Europe past Dec. 31.
Following the visit, Zelensky lambasted Slovakia's prime minister in a long post on social media. He called Fico's pro-Russian energy policy a "big security issue" for Slovakia and Europe, asking: "Why is this leader so dependent on Moscow? What is being paid to him, and what does he pay with?"
"It is worth noting that after their meeting in Moscow, Fico and Putin did not issue joint statements or respond to media questions," Zelensky said on X.
"They simply cannot say publicly anything about what they discussed in the meeting. They are afraid of the public's reaction."
Under Fico's leadership, Slovakia took a sharp foreign policy turn, halting military supplies to Ukraine from the Slovak Armed Forces' stocks and adopting more Russian-friendly rhetoric.
Abbey Fenbert
The prime minister has repeatedly made controversial statements on Ukraine and the war that echo the Kremlin's talking points, gave an interview with Russian propagandist Olga Skabeyeva, and called for the normalization of relations with Russia.
The Ukrainian president said that though Moscow provides significant energy discounts to Fico, such discounts are paid "through sovereignty or murky schemes." Zelensky referred to a recent European meeting in Brussels at which Fico allegedly did not want to participate in a joint effort to find a replacement for Russian gas.
According to Ukraine's head of state, Fico instead wanted to "assist Russia in pushing American gas and energy resources of other partners away from Europe, implying that he wants to help Putin earn money to fund the war and weaken Europe."
"We are losing people as a result of the war that Putin started, and we believe that such assistance to Putin is immoral," Zelensky concluded.
Fico is yet to comment on Zelensky's statement.
Zelensky also said that Fico refused compensation for the lost profit during the transition period and is "interested specifically in the Russian gas" worth $500 million per year, as well as profits from oil pipe that runs through Ukraine and "gives another $500 million per year."
Fico previously told the media that Zelensky offered him 500 million euros ($520 million) from frozen Russian assets if Bratislava supports Ukraine's NATO membership, an offer the Slovak prime minister said he rejected.
