"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.
Metropolitan Yevgeniy of Tallinn and All Estonia. (Moscow Theological Academy/Wikipedia)
The Estonian government did not extend the residence permit of Metropolitan Yevgeniy of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, forcing him to leave by Feb. 6, the ERR public broadcaster reported on Jan. 18.
Estonian authorities have accused Yevgeniy of public statements and actions in support of Russian aggression. Tensions between Tallinn and Moscow surged following the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"The Estonian state will not extend the residence permit of the head of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, Metropolitan Yevgeniy, whose civil name is Valeri Reshetnikov, because his activities are a security threat to Estonia," the Estonian police and border guard said in a press release.
Representatives of the Interior Ministry have repeatedly appealed to Yevgeniy, insisting he must cease publicly defending the Kremlin regime and Russia's military activities, the press release read.
"Despite previous warnings, Reshetnikov has not changed his inappropriate behavior... Therefore, Reshetnikov's actions are a security threat to the country."
A number of Estonian politicians began calling for the metropolitan's expulsion in January 2023 after his church announced a prayer "for peace" with a pro-Russian political movement Koos (Together.)
One of the Koos's leaders, Aivo Peterson, was detained after visiting Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine and is being investigated for treason.
Orthodox Christians represent around 16% of the Estonian population.
The Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate represents only one branch of the country's Orthodoxy, the other being the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church under the direct jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople.
Yevgeniy's expulsion is only one of Tallinn's recent steps to apparently counter pro-Russian activities within the country.
Earlier this week, Estonian authorities arrested a professor with Russian citizenship on charges of allegedly spying for Russia.
On Jan. 18, Estonia also submitted a bill on ending its legal assistance agreement with Russia, lowering judicial cooperation with Moscow to the same basis as with all other third countries.
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.
Toma Istomina
