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.
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.
A screenshot from a video circulating on social media allegedly showing drones attacking the Kremlin overnight on May 3. (Video: Ihor Lachenkov / Telegram)
President Volodymyr Zelensky denied Russia’s claims that the Kremlin residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin was targeted by two Ukrainian drones overnight on May 3.
"We do not attack Putin or Moscow. We are fighting on our territory, defending our villages and cities. We don't have enough weapons even for that," Zelensky said during the press conference in Finland — where he attended a one-day summit of the Nordic countries' leaders.
"Therefore, we did not attack Putin. We will leave it to the tribunal," he said.
Russian state media claimed that "as a result of timely actions taken by the military and special services with the use of radar control systems, the (drones) were disabled."
Videos are circulating on social media of the alleged attack. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the authenticity of the footage.
Earlier in the day, Zelensky's spokesperson Serhii Nykyforov also denied Ukraine's involvement in a statement to BBC Ukraine.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the head of the President's Office, wrote that "Russia is clearly preparing a large-scale terrorist act," implying that Russia staged the event.
According to Podolyak, "Something is happening in the Russian Federation, but definitely without Ukrainian drones over the Kremlin."
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
