Ukraine's underground storage facilities are currently using 19.4% of their capacity. Almost 32%, or 2.79 bcm, less gas is available in the storages than in the previous year, according to the estimates.
The majority of Ukrainians, 71%, do not support holding elections before a full peace deal, even in the case of a ceasefire and security guarantees, according to a poll published by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on May 14.
"He'd like me to be there, and that's a possibility. ... I don't know that he would be there if I'm not there. We're going to find out," U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One while traveling to Qatar, Reuters reported.
Trump has long demanded that NATO allies increase their military spending, previously calling for the alliance to raise its benchmark from 2% to 5% of GDP.
More than 1,000 Russian government entities and 1,200 private companies are involved in the economy of occupied Mariupol, a major southeastern city occupied by Russia after it invaded Ukraine in 2022, according to a research paper published on May 14.
The measures target almost 200 ships of Russia's "shadow fleet," 30 companies involved in sanctions evasion, 75 sanctions on entities and individuals linked to the Russian military-industrial complex, and more.
The government has approved "reform roadmaps in the rule of law, public administration, and democratic institutions, as well as Ukraine’s negotiation position," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
The statement did not name the ex-official by name, but details of the case indicate it relates to Oleh Hladkovsky, a former deputy secretary of Ukraine's top security body who has been wanted since mid-April.
Brazilian President Lula da Silva claimed that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had appealed to his Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, to ask Putin if he was willing to conclude a peace agreement.
"Trump needs to believe that Putin actually lies," Zelensky told journalists in Kyiv. "And we should do our part. Sensibly approach this issue, to show that it’s not us that is slowing down the process."
F-16 aircrafts during a military parade on Polish Armed Forces Day in Warsaw, Poland on Aug. 15, 2023. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Belgium may ship the first F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine later this year, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo and Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder confirmed on April 26, according to the Belgian news outlet RTBF.
Belgium was among the first countries to join the F-16 training coalition established in the summer of 2023 to bolster Ukraine's Air Force. The initiative was spearheaded by the U.S., Denmark, and the Netherlands.
"In coordination with our partners in the F-16 coalition, our country will make every effort to speed up deliveries, if possible, by the end of this year," Dedonder said.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also announced at the Ramstein-format summit on April 26 that "more than a squadron" of donated F-16s will start to arrive in Ukraine this year, along with trained pilots and maintainers, thanks to the work of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.
The announcement accompanies news that the U.S. has prepared an immediate military aid package worth $1 billion to send to Ukraine, and a $6 billion weapons package under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) that will provide arms to Kyiv in the next few years.
Last October, Belgium said that it would provide Ukraine with several F-16 fighter jets, without specifying a number, and help with the training for Ukrainian pilots in EU countries. In October 2023, Dedonder said that the first batch of F-16s from Brussels were expected to arrive to Ukraine in 2025.
The Belgian government approved in late March the 25th assistance package for Ukraine, which contains 100 million euros ($107 million) for the maintenance and support of F-16 fighter jets.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this article said that the United States and Belgium were sending F-16s to Ukraine in 2024. The U.S. announced that F-16s from allies would arrive this year, not that it is sending the planes. The error has been corrected.
Dinara Khalilova
