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.
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.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer (L) and French President Emmanuel Macron (R), at the Elysee palace for a working meeting in Paris, France, on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2024 (Benjamin Girette/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron are working behind the scenes to pacify relations between President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump following their public spat on Feb. 28.
Macron has spoken with both Zelensky and Trump privately, telling La Tribune Dimanche in an interview published on March 1 that he took the initiative to mediate because "what is at stake is too important."
"The manifest destiny of the Americans is to be on the side of the Ukrainians, I have no doubt about it. What the United States has done over the past three years is entirely consistent with its diplomatic and military tradition," Macron said.
"I want to make the Americans understand that disengagement from Ukraine is not in their interest."
Macron also cautioned against signing a peace deal without any security guarantees for Ukraine, adding that "geostrategic deterrence capacity with regard to Russia, China and others, would vanish the same day ."
If Russia's full-scale war of aggression is not stopped in Ukraine, it will "surely go to Moldova" and "perhaps beyond to Romania," the French president added.
Starmer welcomed Zelensky in London on March 1 following Zelensky’s contentious visit to Washington. The leaders are set to discuss joint defense and security plans later on March 2 during a summit with other allies.
Ahead of the summit, Starmer has cautioned Zelensky to make amends with Trump because "the U.S. has to be involved" in any lasting peace plans for Ukraine, an anonymous source close to the prime minister told the Financial Times on March 1.
Both the U.K. and France have supported the idea of deploying peacekeepers in Ukraine as part of the country's security guarantees.
The U.K. is ready "to put boots on the ground, planes in the air to back Ukraine peace deal," Starmer said at the end of February.
Macron, who has spearheaded the idea of deploying European troops on the ground in some capacity since last year, discussed "practical steps" of a possible peacekeeper deployment with Zelensky in January.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Dmytro Basmat
