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."
European Union flags decorates the façade of the iconic Berlaymont building, the seat of the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, on May 31, 2023. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
European Union members are considering an alternative plan to aid Ukraine in case Hungary vetoes the current package of 50 billion euros ($53.4 billion), Bloomberg reported on Nov. 9, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.
The plan would involve national guarantees from member states to raise funding in the markets if Budapest blocks the review of the EU's long-term budget, which includes the Ukraine aid package, the people said.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has opposed including the $53 billion package to finance Ukraine's recovery in the EU's budget, which requires unanimous agreement from all 27 member nations to be approved.
As EU leaders are expected to reach a consensus on future assistance for Ukraine by the last month of 2023, some member states have favored finding an alternative solution to aid Ukraine to increase pressure on Orban, according to Bloomberg's sources.
However, Spanish Economy Minister Nadia Calvino, whose country currently enjoys the rotating EU presidency, and European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis reportedly expressed hope to reach a consensus within the long-term budget.
"We need to make rapid progress with adopting the Ukraine facility," Valdis told a news conference, as cited by Bloomberg. "Last year, we were indeed discussing Plan B. We were able to avoid this scenario last year, so I hope we will also be able to avoid this scenario this year."
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Hungary has repeatedly obstructed EU funds for Kyiv while opposing sanctions against Russia. Orban, who maintains close ties with the Kremlin, has refused to provide military aid to Ukraine and claimed that Kyiv's counteroffensive was destined to fail.
Orban has also accused Ukraine of violating the rights of ethnic Hungarian minorities, a claim used to justify Budapest's limited support.
A senior Hungarian official said earlier on Nov. 7 that Hungary would not allow the start of the EU entry talks, recommended by the European Commission, as long as Ukraine's language law, long derided by Budapest, remains in place.
The language law that has long been a source of strife between Hungary and Ukraine was instituted in 2017 and requires at least 70% of education above fifth grade to be conducted in Ukrainian.
Ukraine has significant Hungarian and Romanian minorities, and both Hungary and Romania have criticized the law as discriminatory. Ukraine responded that it does not intend to crack down on its minorities, only to ensure that every Ukrainian citizen has sufficient knowledge of Ukraine's official language.
Francis Farrell
