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 Russian national flag flies atop the Russian State Duma, the nation's lower house of parliament, July 14, 2023. (Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP via Getty Images)
Russian members of parliament voted in favor of a 68% increase in military spending to fund Russia's war in Ukraine on Oct. 26.
Russian lawmakers voted 320-80 in support of the increased military budget in the first reading of a spending bill.
Military spending will account for nearly a third of all Russian expenditures in 2024.
This surge in military spending aligns with the Kremlin's decision to channel 6% of its gross domestic product (GDP) into the military budget, amounting to 10.8 trillion rubles ($112 billion). This stands in stark contrast to the 6.4 trillion rubles ($67 billion) allocated in 2023.
The Kremlin contends that a substantial boost in spending is essential to funding Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.
"It is obvious that such an increase is absolutely necessary because we are in a state of hybrid war," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters earlier in October.
Russia's increase in military spending comes amid domestic worries, with an economy battered by Western sanctions and the costs of waging war in Ukraine. Russia's Central Bank previously hiked key interest rates to 13 per cent in an attempt to halt the sharp decline of the ruble.
The lower chamber will now hear two more readings of the bill, before sending it to the upper house for approval, and then to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin for signing.
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.
Francis Farrell
