Melkonyants was arrested in August 2023 in connection with the activities of the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO), which was co-founded by Golos's legal predecessor, the Golos association.
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.
US President Joe Biden speaks during a State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to support Ukraine as long as needed during his annual State of the Union address as Russia’s all-out war approaches its one-year anniversary on Feb. 24.
“I spoke from this chamber one year ago, just days after Vladimir Putin unleashed his brutal war against Ukraine. A murderous assault, evoking images of the death and destruction Europe suffered in World War II,” Biden said in the Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Biden said that Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine “has been a test for the ages, a test for America, a test for the world.”
"Would we stand for the most basic of principles? Would we stand for sovereignty? Would we stand for the right of people to live free from tyranny? Would we stand for the defense of democracy?" he asked the members of Congress.
"One year later, we know the answer. Yes, we would. And yes, we did. Together, we did what America always does at our best," he said.
“We led. We united NATO and built a global coalition. We stood against Putin’s aggression. We stood with the Ukrainian people.”
Addressing Ukraine's Ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, Biden said that she represented "not just her nation, but the courage of her people."
"Ambassador, America is united in our support for your country. We will stand with you as long as it takes," he said.
On Feb. 3, the U.S. announced a new security package worth $2.17 billion to Ukraine, which includes long-range Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) missiles for U.S.-provided HIMARS multiple rocket launchers and more Javelin anti-tank weapons.
“In total, the US has committed $32 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since 2014, and $29.3 billion since Russia's unprovoked and illegal invasion nearly one year ago this month,” Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said on Feb. 3.
So far, the U.S. has been reluctant to supply high-precision, long-range ATACMS missiles over concerns that Ukraine could use them to attack targets deep inside Russia. Ukraine has also called for its Western partners to provide fighter jets, but so far, none has signaled it is ready to do so.
Previously, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine needs long-range missiles, including ATACMS, to stop “Russian terror.”
Anastasiya Gordiychuk is a news reporter at the Kyiv Independent. She has previously worked as an associate business and labor editor at The Varsity, where she focused on business and finances. She holds a BA in journalism from the University of Toronto. Her work has also been published in Maclean’s, Global Summitry Project, and the Toronto Observer.
