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."
A diamond is held up for examination at a store run by Brilliant Earth, which uses conflict-free diamonds from Canadian mines, in San Francisco, California on June 5, 2009. (Chip Chipman/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced on Dec. 6 a ban on the direct import of Russian diamonds and related products in coordination with other Group of Seven (G7) countries.
The announcement comes amid media reports that the entire G7 agreed to ban Russian diamonds starting Jan. 1 in a bid to cut off this lucrative source of income during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"The implementation of this ban, in collaboration with our G7 partners, sends a clear message to Russia: We will not tolerate the use of Russia's diamond revenues to finance war," Joly said.
Ottawa's direct ban on Russian diamonds came into force on Dec. 5, Global Affairs Canada's spokesperson Jean-Pierre J. Godbout told the Kyiv Independent.
Russia is the world's largest diamond producer and its revenue from diamond sales last year exceeded $3.9 billion. The G7 countries represent around 70% of the world's diamond market.
"We call on President (Vladimir) Putin to immediately put an end to this unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine, and we will continue to stand by Ukrainians for as long as it takes," the Canadian foreign minister added.
The ban on Russian diamond sales is reportedly also meant to be included in the EU's upcoming 12th sanctions package.
This measure is meant to target the full spectrum of the Russian diamond trade. If approved, it will take effect on Jan. 1.
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.
Daniil Ukhorskiy
