"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."
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.
A press conference with representatives of Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) project "I Want to Live" and the Freedom of Russia Legion in Kyiv on Aug. 20, 2024. The defected Russian soldier, codenamed "Silver," is second from right. (HUR)
A Russian soldier who defected through a joint operation of the Freedom of Russia Legion and Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) project "I Want to Live" conducted espionage and injured his commander in a grenade attack, HUR revealed at a press conference on Aug. 20 attended by a Kyiv Independent reporter.
The 24-year-old soldier, codenamed "Silver," contacted the legion in early 2024 after witnessing a variety of criminal acts committed by his unit and commanders.
"Silver" then reportedly provided clandestine information to the legion about the location of Russian troops and plans for military operations.
Due to "disagreement with the command and authority" of Russia, "Silver" then said he threw a grenade down a ventilation shaft into where his commander was sleeping. The incident took place near the town of Ocheretyne in Donetsk Oblast.
At the press conference, "Silver" said that the commander was injured as a result of the grenade attack but was unsure of the extent of his injuries. The commander's deputy may have also been injured, he added. He then escaped and met with military intelligence officials and representatives of the legion.
Originally, "Silver" studied to be a combat paramedic and served as a conscript in a drone company before Russia's full-scale invasion.
In September 2023, "Silver" found out about the legion and decided to fight alongside Ukraine. He figured "that the best option would be to sign a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry in order to cross the border." Shortly after, he found that he had been assigned to a so-called "Storm-Z" unit, which are often used in human-wave type assaults that result in heavy casualties.
"Silver" is now undergoing a training course for new recruits to the legion and will soon go fight against Russia.
The legion is one of the several anti-Kremlin Russian militias who fight on Ukraine's side and have carried out several cross-border raids into Russian territory.
Ukraine's military intelligence launched the "I Want to Live" project in 2022 to help Russian soldiers desert or defect to the Ukrainian side.
One of the most high-profile defections took place in August 2023, when a Russian pilot named Maksim Kuzminov surrendered along with his Mi-8 helicopter. Kuzminov was found dead in Spain in February 2024, with the circumstances of his death resembling previous Moscow-contracted killings.
Martin Fornusek
