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.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attends a meeting of the heads of state of the North Atlantic Council, Indo-Pacifc Partners, and the European Union during the 2024 NATO Summit on July 11, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
South Korea plans to double its contributions to NATO's trust fund for Ukraine to $24 million in 2025, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on July 11, Yonhap news agency reported.
The president made the announcement during a NATO summit in Washington, where the allies gathered to discuss further support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
"(South Korea) will continue to provide security support, humanitarian aid, and reconstruction assistance (to Ukraine)," Yoon said.
"Next year, we will double our contribution to NATO's Ukraine Trust Fund compared to this year."
Seoul donated $12 million to the NATO-Ukraine Trust Fund for healthcare and rehabilitation of injured soldiers in 2024.
South Korea has provided Kyiv with extensive economic and humanitarian aid, pledging $300 million in short-term aid in 2024 and $2 billion in long-term loan interest loans.
While initially refusing to provide direct lethal military support, the country recently said it is revising this stance in light of deepening cooperation between Russia and North Korea, its chief rival.
Media reports emerged in 2023 that South Korea, a major arms producer, is indirectly supplying Ukraine with artillery shells via the U.S., but Seoul has denied this claim.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Abbey Fenbert
