"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.
Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot visits Bucha, where Russian soldiers massacred hundreds of Ukrainian civilians, in a photo posted on Dec. 6. (Hanke Bruins Slot/Twitter)
The Dutch government has earmarked 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion) in funding for Ukraine, Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot said on Dec. 5 during a visit to Kyiv, where she met with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba.
"Your fight is our fight. Your security is our security. That’s why the Dutch government has allocated 2.5 billion euros to support Ukraine in 2024," Bruins Slot said.
She also commented on Ukraine receiving recommendations from the European Commission to begin talks on its accession to the EU, saying that the Netherlands is "positive" on the decision and that Ukraine's "future is with us."
Ukraine received the recommendation on Nov. 9, and it must be voted on by EU member states later in December. Part of the accession process will include Ukraine's ability to successfully implement reforms required by the EU.
"I also want to stress here how impressive Ukraine’s efforts have been to implement the required reforms under such difficult circumstances of war," Bruins Slot said.
During her trip, the foreign minister also visited Bucha, where Russian soldiers massacred hundreds of civilians at the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
It was "a chilling example of the abhorrent crimes committed against innocent civilians," which "cannot go unpunished," she said on Twitter.
In order to help strengthen Ukraine's capacity to prosecute war crimes and other internationally recognized crimes, Bruins Slot said that the Dutch government would provide 9 million euros ($9.6 million) to train Ukrainian prosecutors and judiciary.
It will also allocate 8 million euros ($8.6 million) to the European Union Advisory Mission, which will provide funding for police and will help "restore the rule of law" in Ukrainian territories liberated from Russian occupation.
Following the electoral victory of Geert Wilders and his Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Dutch elections on Nov. 22, there has been concern that aid for Ukraine from the Netherlands may decrease.
"The PVV is now the largest party and they have never been enthusiastic about support to Ukraine. They have even been pro-Russia at times. So that has me worried," Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren said on Nov. 24.
Wilders, whose PVV party won 37 of 150 seats in the Dutch parliament, has long been vocally anti-immigration but has also made several statements in favor of Russia and against the Netherlands continuing to provide support to Ukraine.
He has close relations with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and has been accused of having ties with Russia. However, Wilders has condemned Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and referred to Russia as the aggressor.
Wilders would need to build a coalition in order to actually govern the Netherlands, and his ability to become prime minister is not guaranteed.
Polls have suggested that an overwhelming majority of Dutch citizens are in favor of continued support for Ukraine.
Nate Ostiller is a former News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. He works on special projects as a researcher and writer for The Red Line Podcast, covering Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and focused primarily on digital misinformation, memory politics, and ethnic conflict. Nate has a Master’s degree in Russian and Eurasian Studies from the University of Glasgow, and spent two years studying abroad at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in Ukraine. Originally from the USA, he is currently based in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Elsa Court
