"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 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 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.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, but said both leaders are ready to fly to Istanbul if Russian President Vladimir Putin chooses to attend the talks there.
Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, said that the new pontiff had a phone call with Zelensky on Monday, during which the pope expressed willingness to facilitate meetings between global leaders and vowed to support efforts for "a just and lasting peace."
In an interview with French broadcaster TF1 on May 13, Macron discussed new Russia sanctions and stationing French nuclear weapons in other European countries as a deterrent against Russia.
Performing their song "Bird of Pray," Ukrainian band Ziferblat passed the Eurovision semi-finals on May 13, qualifying Ukraine for the grand final on May 17.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that a Russian delegation will be in Istanbul on May 15 for direct peace talks with Ukraine. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov will likely represent Russia.
The move follows Ukraine's ratification of the minerals agreement, deepening U.S.-Ukraine economic ties and signaling expanded U.S. involvement in Ukraine's long-term recovery.
Illustrative image: Ukrainian armored infantry vehicle ROSHEL travels past an unfinished church on the road from Sumy to the border with Russia on August 15, 2024 near the Rusian border in the Sumy region of Ukraine. (Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images)
Russian forces attacked civilian infrastructure in the village of Esman in Sumy Oblast on Aug. 22, killing two people and injuring another, the Sumy Oblast Prosecutor's Office reported.
Two other people were also injured in similar attacks on communities neighboring the Russia-Ukraine border.
According to investigators, Russia dropped a KAB guided aerial bomb onto the community around 1 p.m. local time. The attack left two men, a 67-year-old and a 74-year-old, dead, and injured the wife of one of the deceased victims.
Elsewhere in Sumy Oblast, in separate attacks, one person was injured in the village of Svesy as a result of a KAB guided bomb attack. Another person in Hlukhiv was also injured as a result of a Russian drone strike.
No details on the victims or information on the extent of their injuries was provided.
Residents in Sumy Oblast are subjected to daily attacks on the region. Throughout the day on Aug. 22, Russia targeted the region 88 times, with 209 explosions reported in the area, the Sumy Oblast Military Administration said.
The security situation in Sumy Oblast became more tense with the start of Ukraine's cross-border incursion into neighboring Kursk Oblast in Russia, which began on Aug. 6.
Sumy Oblast borders Russia's Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod oblasts. Civilians in Sumy Oblast within 20 kilometers (12 miles) of the border with Kursk Oblast are now subject to restrictions on movement due to increasing Russian attacks, according to the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces.
On Aug. 20, amid ongoing attacks on the region, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko told reporters that authorities are planning to evacuate a total of 45,000 residents from Sumy Oblast.
Approximately 21,000 residents have been evacuated from Sumy Oblast thus far, including 5,000 children, Klymenko added.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Dmytro Basmat
