Earlier reporting from the Washington Post cited a former Russian official who claimed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign policy aide, Yuri Ushakov, would represent Moscow in the talks.
The Council of Europe on May 14 approved the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute Russia's top leadership for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, Ukrainian lawmaker Maria Mezentseva reported.
Viktoria Roshchyna, 27, disappeared in August 2023 while reporting from Ukraine's Russian-occupied territories. Moscow admitted she was in Russian detention the following year.
Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel speaks about the future of the EU-led special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine and its role in bringing Russia to justice.
Turkish officials told Bloomberg that while they don't expect Trump to visit Istanbul, they are not ruling it out, and preparations for any scenario are underway.
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.
A damaged building in the Russian-occupied port city of Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast, Nov. 29, 2022. (Photo by Stringer/AFP via Getty Images)
More than 1,000 Russian government entities and 1,200 private companies are involved in the economy of occupied Mariupol, a major southeastern city captured by Russia after it invaded Ukraine in 2022, according to a research paper published on May 14.
A Serious Organized Crime & Anti-Corruption Evidence (SOC ACE) research paper titled "Looting Mariupol: Russia's use of illicit finance and economic crime in Ukraine" has identified individuals and companies leading and benefiting from the Russian occupation.
The researchers have compiled a Russian Illicit Finance in Occupation Database ("RIFO Database") to explore the mechanisms of illicit funding and business seizures in Mariupol, a Ukrainian city on the Azov Sea captured by Russia in the spring of 2022.
The database includes a dataset of more than 1,000 Russian officials and institutions involved in the occupied Mariupol's economy, indicating potential abuse of authority and/or participation in asset theft, along with providing the administrative capacity underpinning the Russian policy of de-Ukrainianisation of the occupied territories.
Another dataset of more than 1,200 private companies involved in the occupied Mariupol's economy may also contain indicators of potential benefits from corruption and fraud, as well as services provided to Russia's security forces that may have carried out war crimes or crimes under the law of occupation.
The third dataset contains more than 180 Russia-based companies potentially involved in business takeovers without the consent of legal owners, which may give rise to claims of fraud, theft, or pillage.
The paper focuses on emerging Russian economic and political networks in Mariupol's reconstruction after Russia's assault left large parts of the city devastated.
The study also investigates new developments around the city's major industrial plants, including Azovmash and MMK Ilych, and examines Mariupol's role as a major logistics center for the Russian military and for the illegal export of Ukrainian grain and other goods.
"These economic practices in many cases constitute criminal activities and may be potential war crimes," the researchers conclude.
The study suggests that targeted sanctions could raise the cost of Russia's occupation and make its long-term hold on the territory less certain. That would require a more coordinated and targeted effort among G7 members.
The SOC ACE Research Program is funded by the U.K. Foreign Office.
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Chris York
