Ukraine's underground storage facilities are currently using 19.4% of their capacity. Almost 32%, or 2.79 bcm, less gas is available in the storages than in the previous year, according to the estimates.
The majority of Ukrainians, 71%, do not support holding elections before a full peace deal, even in the case of a ceasefire and security guarantees, according to a poll published by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) on May 14.
"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."
he Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles (c), next to Leopard tanks at the Santa Barbara Sistemas plant. March 23, 2023, in Seville, Spain. (Photo By Maria Jose Lopez/Europa Press via Getty Images)
Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles has confirmed that six German-made Leopard 2 tanks are en route from Spain to Ukraine and are due to arrive within a week, CNN reported on April 23.
Speaking to journalists on April 22, the minister said that the German-made Leopards left the Spanish port city of Santander "along with 20 heavy transport vehicles" and that the travel via the sea was expected to take between five and six days.
“In six days, going through another country, they will be in Ukraine,” Robles said, as cited by CNN.
A week earlier, Robles said that Spain would deliver four more Leopards to Ukraine after repairs “as soon as possible," according to CNN.
The report about the expected arrival of the Spanish Leopards comes as Ukraine says it is preparing for a counteroffensive and awaits more weapons and equipment pledged by Western allies.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recently said that more than 230 tanks – including a few dozen Leopard 2 tanks – had already been delivered to Ukraine.
To ease maintenance of tanks, Germany, Poland, and Ukraine on April 21 signed a letter of intent to open a maintenance hub in Poland for Leopard 2 main battle tanks, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said.
Since the beginning of the full-scale war, both Ukraine and Russia have relied on Soviet-designed tanks – and Western tanks, such as Leopard 2s, are expected to give Kyiv a major equipment advantage over Moscow.
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Francis Farrell
