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.
Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, said that the new pontiff had a phone call with Zelensky on Monday, during which the pope expressed willingness to facilitate meetings between global leaders and vowed to support efforts for "a just and lasting peace."
President of Ghana Nana Akufo-Addo attends a joint press conference after the Summit on Peace in Ukraine in Burgenstock, Switzerland on June 16, 2024. (Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo spoke about how Russia’s invasion has decreased food security in poorer countries in his closing statement at Ukraine’s peace summit in Switzerland.
“The consequences of the invasion go far beyond the confines of Europe. Indeed in many ways, Africa has been the greatest victim,” he said in his remarks.
He called for Russia and China to join in the talks process, “if we’re ever going to arrive at a definitive settlement."
Akufo-Addo said that Ghana opposes "great power hegemony and the bullying of small states by big powers. It is in this context that we view and continue to view Russia's invasion and acts of aggression."
Eighty countries, including Ukraine, and four European institutions signed the final joint communique of the Switzerland peace summit on June 16, according to a Kyiv Independent reporter on the ground. Over 100 countries and organizations were present at the summit.
The countries notably absent from the list of signatories include India, Armenia, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Indonesia, Bahrain, Colombia, South Africa, Thailand, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates.
Beijing did not send representatives. Zelensky called on China to join in developing the peace proposals.
“China could help us,” Zelensky told reporters, adding that though it had close ties with the Kremlin, “Ukraine never said that China is our enemy. I always say that Ukraine has only one enemy: Putin.”
Throughout the full-scale invasion, sales of oil and other hydrocarbons to China and India have become the primary source of funds for Russia’s state budget and war effort.
Igor is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously covered conflict in the Middle East, investigated corruption in Ukraine and man-made environmental damage in Southeast Asia. He has a Master’s in Journalism from the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism and was published in the Kyiv Post, USA Today, The Atlantic, Daily Beast and Foreign Policy.
Dinara Khalilova
