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."
The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 13, 2023. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Congressional Integrity Project)
Over 40 members of the Alphen Group, an international association of security experts, appealed to U.S. Congress to approve the funding request that includes aid for Ukraine in a letter published on the organization's website on Dec. 18.
A $111-billion bill proposed by U.S. President Joe Biden's Administration that contains over $60 billion for Ukraine has so far failed to pass Congress due to opposition by the Republican Party.
Republican Senators blocked the bill during the Dec. 6 vote, insisting on tougher security measures on the U.S.-Mexico border.
"Ukraine's fight is not only in defense of its own sovereignty and territory but also on behalf of the West, its values and way of life, which Russia seeks to replace with an international system more welcoming for dictatorships," the experts wrote in the letter address to both Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
"The United States and its allies must help Ukraine prevent Russia from winning a victory that would both be disastrous for the people and country of Ukraine and threaten the future security of the United States and its allies."
Kyiv's Western allies "must convince Putin that time is not on his side" through combined European and American assistance, the letter read.
"Failure of the United States to lead would create conditions for a Russian victory."
The experts stressed that Washington must accelerate the delivery of fighter aircraft and long-range artillery to Ukraine. If implemented beginning in early 2024, Ukraine can be equipped with the capabilities it needs to succeed by year's end, the authors of the letter believe.
According to the Alphen Group's members, Ukraine's victory would have a global effect and discourage other "aggressive and authoritarian regimes" like China, North Korea, or Iran.
"For these reasons, we urge Members of Congress of both parties to recognize the critical importance of maintaining and increasing support for Ukraine, on behalf of U.S. interests and those of the international system more broadly."
Although Biden urged Congress to pass the funding before the upcoming holidays, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on Dec. 17 that the deal before the end of the year is unlikely.
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Dmytro Basmat
