Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, May 8th MOSCOW, May 8. /TASS/. The US is awaiting Iran’s response to a proposal that could pave the way for direct talks and a possible settlement of the conflict; Russia is preparing for the possibility of continued Ukrainian long-range drone attacks; and Moscow says it will defend its interests and freedom of navigation in the Arctic as Western countries expand their military presence in the region. These stories topped Friday’snewspaper headlines