May 8, 2025. International news round-up / last 24 hours

The conflict in Ukraine continues to be at the center of international politics. Continued drone strikes by both sides underscore the sharpening attritional nature of the conflict. The US vice-president's statements also seem to suggest both the dissatisfaction of the US presidential administration with the progress of the negotiation process and Russia's role in blocking a peace solution. The possible escalation of the conflict between India and Pakistan raises concerns in the absence of the diplomatic component in the equation.

The war in Ukraine

• Mutual drone and rocket attacks have been launched by both sides, causing casualties and material damage.
• Ukraine launches a new assault in the Kursk region, while Russia steps up its attacks on Ukrainian cities.
• Lithuania and Latvia are closing their airspace to leaders from Serbia and Slovakia traveling to Moscow.
• US Vice President J.D. Vance believes Russia is asking "too much" in the peace talks and is discussing a possible American withdrawal from the diplomatic process.

India-Pakistan conflict

• Pakistan's army has been authorized to take offensive action following the Indian attack.
• Many flights have been canceled or diverted and several airports closed as the conflict escalated.

Other topics

• New chancellor Friedrich Merz calls on the US not to get involved in German politics.
• The European Commission is discussing measures to reduce dependence on Russian gas, aiming to ban imports from 2027.
• The first vote at the conclave in Rome ended without the appointment of a new pope.

Top entities mentioned

Russia

• India
• Pakistan
• Germany
• Vatican

*****Summary compiled using a monitoring feed provided by NewsVibe Romania. The top international topics are identified from the automated monitoring of impactful media sources in Romania, as well as from the tracking of foreign policy topics in mainstream media sources and the pages of the main influencers. The analysis, data and images presented have been enhanced with the help of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence tools.