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."
Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 23, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in France this May, Politico reported on March 18. This would be the Chinese leader's first visit to Europe since the pandemic.
The high-level talks will reportedly coincide with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Paris and Beijing.
An anonymous source told Politico that the visit "will be less festive and more studious given the current economic and geopolitical stakes."
China has grown closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the last two years even as European leaders, including the French President, continue to publicly support Ukraine. President Xi has not condemned Russia's actions in Ukraine and has repeatedly abstained from voting on UN resolutions on the war.
Earlier this year, Reuters reported that Russia became China's largest oil supplier. China and Russia have also reportedly begun joint naval exercises with Iran in the Gulf of Oman.
Ukraine is keeping diplomatic channels with China open, even though Beijing has maintained close ties with Moscow during the war.
Since President Volodymyr Zelensky presented a 10-point peace plan in November 2022, there have been four advisory meetings on the level of national security advisers. China was present at only one of them.
Earlier this week, the Chinese Ambassador to Switzerland announced that Beijing is considering participating in the upcoming peace summit.
Switzerland agreed in January 2024 to host a global peace summit on the war in Ukraine. Over 160 countries, including China, will be invited to discuss Kyiv's peace formula and create a joint document on what needs to be done to restore the country’s sovereignty. The date for the summit has not yet been set.
Officials told Politico that China is trying to persuade European leaders to allow Russia to attend future peace talks, including the upcoming summit in Switzerland. Beijing said it would boycott peace talks that do not include Russia.
Russia, on the other hand, said it would not attend the Switzerland summit even if Russia were invited.
President Xi and Macron previously met in Beijing in April 2023. The French leader reportedly tried to urge President Xi to use his influence over Moscow to end the war.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
