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.
Russia seems to be preparing a significant offensive in Ukraine as it is moving troops toward key positions on the front, the Financial Times reported on May 13, citing undisclosed Ukrainian intelligence officials.
The aftermath of a Russian missile attack against Kharkiv on May 23, 2024. (Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent)
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Russian forces launched attacks against Kharkiv Oblast on May 23, killing at least seven people in Kharkiv and injuring at least 21, as well as at least 11 elsewhere in the oblast, as reported by local officials and a Kyiv Independent reporter.
Kharkiv and other regional settlements have suffered increasingly intense strikes since Russia launched a new offensive in the oblast on May 10.
The Kyiv Independent journalist reported several explosions in Kharkiv at 10:30 a.m. local time. Governor Oleh Syniehubov and Mayor Ihor Terekhov said that around 10 blasts could be heard in the city.
The aftermath of a Russian missile attack against Kharkiv on May 23, 2024. (Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent)
The aftermath of a Russian missile attack against Kharkiv on May 23, 2024. (Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent)
The aftermath of a Russian missile attack against Kharkiv on May 23, 2024. (Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent)
The aftermath of a Russian missile attack against Kharkiv on May 23, 2024. (Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent)
The aftermath of a Russian missile attack against Kharkiv on May 23, 2024. (Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent)
The attacks targeted transportation infrastructure in the Kholodnohirskyi district and a building of a communal services company, the mayor said.
A printing shop in Kharkiv's Osnovianskyi district suffered a direct hit, resulting in a fire, the governor said, adding that more than 50 employees were inside during the attack. The shop reportedly belonged to the Faktor Druk printing house.
The seven people who were killed were the shop's employees, including five women and one man, Syniehubov said on Telegram, adding that information about the seventh victim is still being clarified.
They were "in the very epicenter" of that strike, Syniehubov told reporters in a briefing attended by the Kyiv Independent journalist.
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Firefighters putting out a fire in the aftermath of a Russian attack on Kharkiv on May 23, 2024. (Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent)
Russian forces carried out 15 strikes against Kharkiv and the Kharkiv district, probably with S-300 missiles, the regional prosecutor's office spokesperson, Dmytro Chubenko, told Suspilne.
Oleksandr Filchakov, the head of the regional prosecutor's office, confirmed for the Kyiv Independent that Russia attacked the city with S-300 missiles.
At least two people were injured in Zolochiv, a village around 35 kilometers (over 20 miles) north of Kharkiv, and at least seven others in Liubotyn, a town some 15 kilometers (9 miles) west of the regional center, according to officials.
In Liubotyn, S-300 missiles hit the area of the railway station, Chubenko said. A park, cars, and shops were also damaged, according to the Prosecutor General's Office.
Zolochiv was hit by guided aerial bombs, dealing damage to a local kindergarten, Syniehubov reported.
Ukrainian Railways reported that six of their workers had been injured in attacks against Kharkiv Oblast, and several of their facilities were hit both in Kharkiv and elsewhere.
Around four hours after the initial attack, Russia carried out two aerial strikes with KAB bombs against Kharkiv and a nearby town of Derhachi, Syniehubov reported.
Two people – a man and a woman – were injured in Derhachi and hospitalized, local authorities said.Four other people suffered from shock.
Francis Farrell
