"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.
U.S. National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby speaks during the daily briefing in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 31, 2023. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)
North Korean troops are experiencing mass casualties while fighting alongside Russian forces against Ukraine in Kursk Oblast, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Dec. 27.
The comments come a day after Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) on Dec. 26 reported that North Korean troops had suffered heavy lossesin Kursk Oblast.
The White House believes more than 1,000 North Korean troops have been killed or wounded over the past week alone, Kirby saidin a press briefing.
"It is clear that Russian and North Korean military leaders are treating these troops as expendable and ordering them on hopeless assaults against Ukrainian defenses," he said.
Kirby said that North Korean units had been carrying out "human wave" attacks against Ukrainian positions in Kursk Oblast, with little effect.
North Korean soldiers have reportedly taken their own lives rather than surrender to Ukrainian troops, out of fear their families will be targeted over their capture, Kirby added.
"I hope they're loading up their commanders with a bunch of body bags, because they're clearly going to need it," he said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Dec. 23 that more than 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or injured since their deployment in Kursk Oblast.
Russia has stationed approximately 12,000 North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region to assist in ousting Ukrainian forces. The first confirmed battles between Ukrainian and North Korean units occurred on Nov. 5.
Ukraine first began its surprise incursion into Kursk Oblast on Aug. 6. Ukrainian forces have been fighting to hold onto territory in the region ever since, in hopes it can be used as a bargaining chip in future negotiations with Russia.
Volodymyr Ivanyshyn is a news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He is pursuing an Honors Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science with a minor in anthropology and human geography. Volodymyr holds a Certificate in Business Fundamentals from Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto. He previously completed an internship with The Kyiv Independent.
Asami Terajima
