"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.
Truck drivers queue for over ten kilometers at the Rava-Ruska border checkpoint on the Ukrainian-Polish border on April 18, 2023. (Photo by Yuriy Dyachshyn/AFP via Getty Images)
Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria failed to reach agreement with the European Commission on their respective bans on agrarian import from Ukraine, Polish Radio RMF24 reported on April 23.
Further negotiations were scheduled for April 24.
The European Commission reportedly may even expand the list of banned goods from Ukraine as agrarian ministers of these five countries sent a letter to the European Commission on April 21 requesting to add sunflower oil, flour, honey, sugar, fruits, eggs, meat, milk and dairy products to the list.
Although the ban does not apply to the transit of food products from Ukraine, the countries have banned the import of Ukrainian grain and 20 other food products, including oil seeds and flour.
The countries are also asking to further extend such protection measures after the EU’s one-year decision to abolish customs duties on Ukrainian imported goods expires this June.
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.
Asami Terajima
