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.
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."
Russian opposition politician in exile Ilya Yashin attends an anti-war demonstration they organized on Nov. 17, 2024, in Berlin, Germany. They were demanding an end to the rule of Russian President Vladimir Putin and an end to Russia's war in Ukraine. (Axel Schmidt/Getty Images)
A march organized by Russian opposition exiled leaders Yulia Navalnaya, Vladimir Kara-Murza, and Ilya Yashin in protest against Russia's war in Ukraine began in Berlin on Nov. 17.
The event's participants are calling for Russia's withdrawal from Ukraine, the release of political prisoners, and to try Putin as a war criminal, Deutsche Welle reported.
The event, which had been planned in advance, took place the same day as Russia launched one of its largest strikes on Ukrainian cities and the energy grid, killing and injuring civilians.
While the German police estimated the initial number of participants to be 1,800, the independent news outlet Meduza counted up to 6,000-7,000 people. The march moved from the Potsdamer Platz (Square) to the Brandenburg Gate, ending the procession at the nearby Russian embassy building. Navalnaya, Kara-Murza, and Yashin were in attendance.
Russian opposition politicians in exile Yulia Navalnaya (C), Vladimir Kara-Murza (L), and Ilya Yashin (R) attend an anti-war demonstration they organized on Nov. 17, 2024, in Berlin, Germany. They were demanding an end to the rule of Russian President Vladimir Putin and an end to Russia's war in Ukraine. (Axel Schmidt/Getty Images)
Navalnaya took up a more visible public role after the death of her husband, Alexei Navalny, in a Russian penal colony in February. She has directly accused Vladimir Putin of being responsible for her husband's death.
Kara-Murza and Yashin, who were jailed in Russia as political prisoners, were released on Aug. 1 in a large-scale prisoner swap between Moscow and the West.
Videos shared by the media show participants waving both Ukrainian and blue-and-white Russian opposition flags and chanting "No to war," "Putin is a murderer," and "Russia without Putin." Others held banners with pro-Ukrainian statements, such as "Ukraine's victory is also ours" and "We stand with Ukraine."
According to Deutsche Welle, an incident broke out when two participants brought the tricolor of the Russian Federation to the march, leading to angry protests from other demonstrators.
"Putin is not Russia. Russia is us. We are against the war, against aggression. We support free, peaceful Russia," Yashin said in a speech.
Russian opposition leaders have denounced the war and Putin's regime but have also come under criticism from Ukraine for calling for reduced sanctions against Russia as a whole, urging instead more targeted measures against the leadership.
Asked in an interview with the German outlet Zeit whether it is correct to supply arms to Ukraine, Navalnaya responded: "It's difficult to say. The war was unleashed by Vladimir Putin, but the bombs are hitting Russians too."
"All Russian troops must be withdrawn from the territory of Ukraine immediately. The war must end immediately," she added.
Oleksii Makeiev, Ukraine's ambassador to Germany, called the march "dignified and inconsequential" and a "PR campaign whose target group is not the Russian population, but German media and politicians."
Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent. He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press. He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner. Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.
Andrew Chakhoyan
