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.
The Russian flag flies above the headquarters of the Russian Central Bank in Moscow, Russia, on March 18, 2016. (Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The EU will suggest a proposal to seize about 15 billion euros ($16.2 billion) in projected profits generated by frozen Russian assets and transfer them to Ukraine, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Dec. 11, citing comments from European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the West has frozen close to $215 billion in assets from Russia's Central Bank, but there has been a lack of consensus on how best to seize them in part or whole, and redirect the funds to Ukraine.
The Group of Seven (G7) nations said on Oct. 12 that it would hold frozen Russian assets in their jurisdictions, estimated to be around $280 billion, until Russia pays for the reparations and reconstruction of Ukraine.
It is unclear how the G7 intends to enforce the plan, or when funds might actually be accessible, which is why Dombrovskis said an interim solution was required.
The plan, which FT said would be proposed in Brussels on Dec. 12, would require banks holding frozen Russian assets to place profits in a separate bank account, which would then be transferred to the EU's budget on an annual basis in order to provide funding for Ukraine.
Under the proposal, only profits stemming from Russia's Central Bank would be subject to seizure. According to estimates by the European Commission, the proposal would generate about 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion) per year, or 15 billion from 2023-2027.
The plan would most directly impact Euroclear, a Belgium-based financial services company that holds about 191 billion euros ($205 billion) in Russian assets.
Euroclear did not respond to requests for comment, the FT said.
The plan's specific targeting of only the profits, and only those from Russia's Central Bank, is thought to assuage some fears of the financial and legal implications of the seizure. Experts said that even such a plan has risks.
There are concerns that Russia could take retaliatory measures by seizing Western assets in Russia, which it has threatened to do. On occasion, it has followed through on those threats, such as the seizure of Carlsberg's Russian subsidiary, which the CEO said was unlawful.
There is also a lack of a clear legal standard for the seizure, experts said.
Alexander Query
