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 Ukrainian flag fluttering over the Verkhovna Rada building, on the Day of the National Flag, in Kyiv, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Aug. 23, 2024. (Roman Pilipey /AFP via Getty Images)
Iryna Kormyshkina, a member of parliament from President Volodymyr Zelensky's Servant of the People party, has submitted a resignation letter amid a corruption investigation against her, Oleksii Honcharenko, an MP from the European Solidarity party, said on Feb. 21.
Kormyshkina was charged by Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) on Oct. 17 with illicit enrichment worth more than Hr 20 million ($480,000).
In early January 2025, the NABU filed an additional charge against her for allegedly falsifying data in her electronic asset declaration.
According to Honcharenko, parliament's rules committee will now review her resignation request before parliament holds a vote on the matter.
Ukraine's asset declaration system was initially introduced as part of anti-corruption reforms following the 2013-2014 EuroMaidan Revolution.
The requirement was suspended after Russia's full-scale invasion but reinstated in October 2023, when Zelensky signed a law restoring mandatory declarations and making them publicly accessible.
Ukraine's National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NACP) re-opened public access to the asset declaration system in December 2023.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
Martin Fornusek
