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.
Ukraine needs "a bit more time" to launch its much-anticipated counteroffensive as the country is waiting for the delivery of pledged military aid, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, as reported by BBC on May 11.
"With (what we already have), we can go forward, and, I think, be successful," Zelensky said in an interview for public broadcasters such as the BBC. "But we'd lose a lot of people. I think that's unacceptable. So we need to wait."
According to Ukraine's president, combat brigades, some of which were trained by NATO members, are "ready" for the long-awaited counteroffensive. However, the Ukrainian army still needs "some things," particularly armored vehicles, which "arrive in batches."
The outcome of Ukraine's counteroffensive is expected to be a critical turning point in the war that will determine whether Ukraine reclaims more of its territory or is pressured by allies to meet with Russia at the negotiating table.
"Everyone will have an idea," Zelensky said, as cited by the BBC. "(But) they can't pressure Ukraine into surrendering territories. Why should any country of the world give Putin its territory?"
The Kyiv Independent news desk
Western supplies of weapons are seen as critical to Ukraine's ability to launch a successful counteroffensive. NATO military commander General Christopher Cavoli said on April 26 that nearly all the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine by NATO allies had been delivered.
Zelensky's statement aligns with Kyiv's recent efforts to lower expectations from the counteroffensive amid speculations the planned breakthrough could be Ukraine's last chance to regain all its territories, at least this year.
"The expectation from our counteroffensive campaign is overestimated in the world," Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told the Washington Post. "Most people are … waiting for something huge," he said, which could lead to "emotional disappointment."
Meanwhile, in an interview with the German newspaper Bild, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urges not to think about Ukraine's expected counteroffensive as the last one "because we don't know what will come out of it."
Kyiv has repeatedly vowed to liberate all Ukrainian territories within the 1991 borders, including the Crimean peninsula as well as parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts occupied since 2014.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
