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."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2024 in Antalya, Turkey, on March 1, 2024. (Mert Gokhan Koc/ dia images via Getty Images)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Guinea on June 3 as part of his ongoing visits to West Africa. These visits come amid a backdrop of coups and rising discontent with traditional allies such as France and the United States, prompting some countries to shift their alliances towards Moscow.
Lavrov's multiple visits to the African continent in recent years underscore Russia's efforts to garner support or at least neutrality from Africa's 54 countries amid its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
During his visit, Lavrov met with Guinea’s Foreign Minister Morissanda Kouyaté, according to a statement from Russia’s foreign ministry. Guinea's government mentioned that the meeting aimed to discuss areas of mutual cooperation but did not provide further details.
Later on June 3, Lavrov was expected to arrive in the Republic of Congo, where he was scheduled to meet President Denis Sassou Nguesso in the city of Oyo, as per an official communique from Brazzaville. The rest of his itinerary was not disclosed.
Guinea has been under military rule since 2021, when Col. Mamadi Doumbouya seized power, citing the need to prevent chaos and accusing the previous government of failing to keep promises. In February, the military leaders dissolved the government without explanation and announced plans to appoint a new one.
Doumbouya has resisted attempts by Western and other developed countries to intervene in Africa’s political affairs, stating that Africans are "exhausted by the categorizations with which everyone wants to box us in," according to Associated Press.
Several West African nations, including Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, have experienced coups that resulted in military juntas taking control. These countries have reduced or ended longstanding military ties with Western powers in favor of seeking security support from Russia.
Olena Goncharova is the Head of North America desk at The Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a development manager and Canadian correspondent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper’s Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Olena has a master’s degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months. The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.
Ray Hartley
