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 artilleryman in camouflage clothing with assault rifle stands in front of an armored vehicle at Ukrainian position on the northern direction on Jan. 12, 2024 in Ukraine. (Yevhenii Zavhorodnii/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
U.S. intelligence does not believe that a decrease in U.S. aid for Ukraine will have a major impact on the battlefield in the short term but will become a problem later once Russia regroups, CNN reported on Jan. 19, citing anonymous official sources.
More than $61 billion in U.S. assistance remains stuck in Congress due to political infighting, raising concerns in Kyiv about shortages of money and arms needed to resist Russian aggression.
According to officials cited by CNN, Russia is currently struggling to regroup its forces, which is buying Ukraine some time.
Despite Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive and subsequent Russian attacks along the eastern front, the battle lines had been relatively static in recent months.
The lack of U.S. support could become more palpable further down the road as Moscow ramps up its defense production and secures further supplies from abroad. There are also speculations that Russia may launch a new wave of mobilization after the 2024 presidential election, having a larger manpower base than Ukraine.
Another concern, CNN wrote, is that European allies could also begin decreasing their aid if they see the U.S. pulling out. Shortages of Western weaponry could prevent Ukraine from carrying out some of its high-profile operations, like strikes against the Russian Black Sea Fleet and occupied Crimea, the news outlet's sources said.
While the current opposition to aiding Ukraine comes only from the Republican side of Congress, the 2024 presidential election could see the return of Donald Trump as president.
Trump has extensively criticized the level of assistance that President Joe Biden's administration threw behind Ukraine and claimed that he could have solved the war in "24 hours."
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.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
