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.
China's President Xi Jinping (L) is welcomed by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin (R) during the opening ceremony of "The Year of Chinese Tourism in Russia" in Moscow, on March 22, 2013. (Sergei Ilnitskii / POOL / AFP)
China's six-point plan for peace in Ukraine has the support of more than 110 countries, a Beijing official said on Aug. 2.
China officially declares itself a neutral party to Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine and has denied providing lethal aid to both sides, but Beijing and Moscow continue to develop closer ties, most recently with Russian President Vladimir Putin visiting his counterpart Xi Jinping in May.
Beijing has been trying to enlist developing nations to join its six-point peace plan, which China and Brazil laid out in May.
An international peace conference accepted by both Russia and Ukraine, and which includes "fair discussion" of all peace plans.
An increase of humanitarian assistance to "prevent a humanitarian crisis on a larger scale," as well as an exchange of POWs, and no attacks on civilians.
All possible efforts must be made to "prevent nuclear proliferation and avoid nuclear crisis."
Attacks on nuclear power plants and other peaceful nuclear facilities "must be opposed."
Enhanced international cooperation on several issues in order to "protect the stability of global industrial and supply chains."
It makes no mention of Ukraine's territorial integrity or the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
Speaking on Aug. 2 during a trip to Brazil, with which China jointly proposed the plan, Special Representative of the Government of the People's Republic of China for Eurasian Affairs, Li Hui, claimed international support for it was growing.
"China and Brazil jointly published the so-called six-point consensus on the promotion of a political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis," he said in comments reported by Ukrinform.
"This statement has gained the support of more than 110 countries."
He did not specify which countries had pledged their support. In early June, China said the plan had the support of 45 countries.
The Chinese proposal has been presented as an alternative to President Volodymyr Zelensky's peace plan, which is backed by Kyiv's Western partners.
Zelensky's 10-point peace formula, a plan first outlined in the fall of 2022, calls for a complete withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine, punishing those responsible for war crimes, and the release of all prisoners, among other goals.
Chris York is news operations editor at the Kyiv Independent. Before joining the team, he was head of news at the Kyiv Post. Previously, back in Britain, he spent nearly a decade working for HuffPost UK. He holds an MA in Conflict, Development, and Security from the University of Leeds.
Dinara Khalilova
