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."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Joe Biden meet at the Vilnius summit, July 12, 2023. (Source: President Volodymyr Zelensky/Twitter)
During a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Vilnius summit on July 12, U.S. President Joe Biden said that he looks forward to Ukraine's entry into the alliance.
"I look forward to... having the meeting, celebrating your official, official membership in NATO," Biden said.
The two leaders met for bilateral talks during the NATO summit where Ukraine's partners pledged to ramp up their support and provided new security commitments. Kyiv has not received its much-desired NATO membership invite, however.
Biden said he understands his counterpart's frustration but assured him of continued U.S. support.
"I hope you all got a sense today from all my colleagues how much public support you have. It's real and I hope we finally have put to bed the notion about whether or not Ukraine is welcome in NATO. It's going to happen," Biden said at the meeting.
"We're all moving in the right direction. I think it's just a matter of getting by the next few months," he added.
At the summit, NATO adopted a three-part package to bring Ukraine closer to the Alliance, and dropped the need for the Membership Action Plan (MAP), but stopped short of a full invitation.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that Ukraine will be able to join once "allies agree, and conditions are met."
Before arriving at the summit, Zelensky openly criticized NATO's unclear signaling on Ukraine's bid, calling the lack of a time frame "unprecedented and absurd."
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.
Alexander Khrebet
