Melkonyants was arrested in August 2023 in connection with the activities of the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO), which was co-founded by Golos's legal predecessor, the Golos association.
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.
The Russian and U.S. flags. Photo for illustrative purposes. (Getty Images)
Russia has suggested resuming direct air travel with the United States during diplomatic talks in Istanbul, Reuters reported, citing the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Direct flights between the two countries were suspended in 2022 due to Western sanctions over Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has not disclosed the U.S. response to the proposal, but Reuters noted that the shares of Russia's largest airline, Aeroflot, rose 3.8% following the news.
The Istanbul meeting between top U.S. and Russian officials lasted six hours and followed a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump on Feb. 12, as well as a high-level meeting in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18.
Both countries claim they are seeking to end the Russian-Ukrainian war and explore major business opportunities, but they are first focusing on reestablishing basic diplomatic ties, Reuters wrote.
"The need for practical results aimed at creating conditions for improving bilateral relations in the interests of the peoples of our countries was particularly emphasized," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in its statement.
According to the ministry, both sides agreed on steps to ensure the uninterrupted funding of embassies and allow diplomats to work normally after years of expulsions and retaliatory disputes. Russia also raised the issue of reclaiming six embassy properties in the United States that were confiscated between 2016 and 2018.
The U.S. State Department’s statement on Feb. 27 did not mention any discussion of air travel.
Washington said the two sides had identified specific initial steps to "stabilize" the operations of diplomatic missions, including discussions on embassy staffing, visas, and diplomatic banking services with Russia.
Tennyson Dearing
