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."
President Volodymyr Zelensky and Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot in Kyiv on Dec. 5, 2023. (Hanke Bruins Slot / X)
Ukraine has no choice but to keep fighting the Russian invasion, since an end to their fight would mean the end of their country, Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot told Dutch radio station BNR on Dec. 5.
The foreign minister's visit to Kyiv comes amid growing disunity within the European Union regarding military and financial support to Ukraine, and weeks after a Dutch parliamentary election in the far-right Party for Freedom emerged as the biggest political force.
"If they stop fighting, Russia will win the war, and Russia will occupy all of Ukraine," Bruins Slot said in an interview following her visit to President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Dec. 5.
Ukrainians "know that if they stop fighting, then their country will be finished," and Europe as we currently know it "will be over too," Bruins Slot said.
The foreign minister said she was "convinced that Russia will not stop at the border" of Ukraine, but Russian President Vladimir Putin is "simply waiting" for Europe to lose focus.
Ukraine is fighting not only for its own freedom but also for the safety and security of the European continent, Bruins Slot said.
The Dutch government has earmarked 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion) in funding for Ukraine, Bruins Slot said during her visit to Kyiv, where she met with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba.
"Your fight is our fight. Your security is our security. That's why the Dutch government has allocated 2.5 billion euros to support Ukraine in 2024," Bruins Slot said.
Following the electoral victory of Geert Wilders and his Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Dutch elections on Nov. 22, there has been concern that aid for Ukraine from the Netherlands may decrease.
Wilders is close to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and is against the Netherlands continuing to provide support to Ukraine.
"The PVV is now the largest party and they have never been enthusiastic about support to Ukraine. They have even been pro-Russia at times. So that has me worried," Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said on Nov. 24.
Wilders would need to build a coalition in order to govern the Netherlands, and his ability to become prime minister is not guaranteed. Coalition talks are ongoing.
Elsa Court
