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."
The EU plans to significantly increase tariffs on Ukrainian goods after the current duty-free deal lapses on June 6, the Financial Times reported on May 14, citing undisclosed diplomatic sources.
The blockade ended at 10:30 p.m. local time. Truck traffic in both directions is now moving as usual, according to Ukraine's State Border Guard's statement.
Russia seems to be preparing a significant offensive in Ukraine as it is moving troops toward key positions on the front, the Financial Times reported on May 13, citing undisclosed Ukrainian intelligence officials.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, but said both leaders are ready to fly to Istanbul if Russian President Vladimir Putin chooses to attend the talks there.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken leaves after speaking to the press outside the UN Security on August 3, 2023, in New York. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized Moscow for withdrawing from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, emphasizing that "hunger must not be weaponized."
At the U.N. Security Council meeting on Aug.3, Blinken said Russia's war against Ukraine sparked "an assault" on the global food system.
"Every member of this council, every member of the United Nations, should tell Moscow: enough. Enough using the Black Sea as blackmail; enough treating the world's most vulnerable people as leverage; enough of this unjustified, unconscionable war," the U.S. official said.
Blinken added that 91 U.N. member states had already signed a new joint communique "committing to end the use of famine, starvation, and food as weapons of war."
On July 17, Russia withdrew from the Black Sea grain agreement, brokered by Turkey and the United Nations in July 2022, and began attacking Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea and the Danube River.
The initiative allowed Ukraine to continue exporting its agricultural products during Russia's full-scale war and played a crucial role in stabilizing food prices worldwide. While the grain deal was in place, Ukraine exported around 32 million tons of food to the world, mainly developing countries.
"Keep in mind, this initiative should never have been necessary in the first place. It only was necessary because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its blockade of Ukrainian ports," reads Blinken's statement. "But the initiative produced concrete, demonstrable, powerful results in making sure that these food products could continue to get to world markets, going to those who needed it."
Since Russia's one-sided termination of the deal, grain prices have risen by over 8% around the world, according to Blinken.
Dinara Khalilova is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a news editor. In the early weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she worked as a fixer and local producer for Sky News’ team in Ukraine. Dinara holds a BA in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and a Master’s degree in media and communication from the U.K.’s Bournemouth University.
Martin Fornusek
