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."
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (L) and President Volodymyr Zelensky speak at a news conference in Kyiv on April 20, 2023. (Photo: Andrew Kravchenko/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
A NATO-Ukraine Council meeting will discuss security in the Black Sea on July 26 following Russia's withdrawal from the grain deal, NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu told Reuters on July 22.
The announcement came the same day when President Volodymyr Zelensky requested NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to discuss the terminated Black Sea Grain Initiative.
Lungescu said the meeting would take place at the level of ambassadors. It is going to be the first NATO-Ukraine Council meeting after the inaugural session at NATO's summit in Vilnius.
NATO launched the council, aimed at enabling closer coordination between Kyiv and the alliance, on July 11.
Russia's July 17 withdrawal from the grain deal dealt a blow to global food security.
After withdrawing, Russia said all the vessels using the maritime grain corridor would be considered military cargo to Ukraine, thus a target.
In response, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said on July 21 that any vessels heading to Russian or Russian-occupied ports on the Black Sea will be treated as carrying military cargo "with all associated risks."
Brokered by Turkey and the U.N. last July, the grain deal has allowed Ukraine to export its agricultural products through the Black Sea to Africa, Asia, and Europe during wartime.
The deal played an integral role in mitigating global food price surges triggered by Russia's war.
Russian forces have since launched multiple air attacks against Ukrainian Black Sea port cities, including Odesa, destroying port infrastructure and tens of metric tons of grain after withdrawing from the deal.
Alexander Khrebet is a reporter with the Kyiv Independent. He covers Ukraine’s foreign policy, alleged abuse of power in the country’s military leadership, and reports on the Russian-occupied territories. Alexander is the European Press Prize 2023 winner, the #AllForJan Award 2023 winner and Ukraine's 2022 National Investigative Journalism Award finalist. His was published in the Washington Times and Atlantic Council.
Igor Kossov
