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."
President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) and football star Andriy Shevchenko (R) talk in Kyiv on May 18, 2022. (President's Office)
Ukrainian football legend Andriy Shevchenko didn’t think twice when he learned that President Volodymyr Zelensky wanted him to become the first ambassador of UNITED24, a platform dedicated to collecting charitable funds in support of Ukraine.
He was ready to accept new responsibilities on the spot.
“I said yes because I knew I had to do something for my country,” Shevchenko told the Kyiv Independent.
The soft-spoken, football player took a moment to reflect on his comment. As for many, the war is a personal matter for Shevchenko.
His family was stranded in Kyiv when the war erupted and he said the images of Bucha and Hostomel, where unimaginable atrocities have been committed by Russia, haunt him. “I had heard a couple of things, but I was absolutely shocked,” Shevchenko said.
There was no other choice for him than to help Ukraine get back on its feet. A 2004 Ballon d’Or winner, his international career has given him a platform through which he can help his country as much as possible, he said.
A Ukrainian football star recognized worldwide, Shevchenko scored 48 goals in 111 games as a striker for Ukraine, making him the country’s greatest ever goalscorer.
He has played for Dynamo Kyiv, Milan, Chelsea, and Ukraine’s national team, helping put Ukraine on the map.
“Some athletes took weapons and went on the battlefield,” he said. “My weapons are my international connections.”
Helping Ukraine
Shevchenko feels that he owes it to Ukraine to use his international stature to increase donations, ensure the efficiency and transparency of their distribution, and ultimately contribute to his country's survival.
“A lot of money was given to Ukraine, but not all the money arrived here, and we don’t know where it disappeared,” he said. “This platform will help us know where it’s going because donators need to see where their money is going.”
That’s why he accepted to become the face of United24, a global initiative launched by Zelensky on May 5 to support Ukraine.
According to Shevchenko, the first step is to remind international donors that the war is ongoing. After three months of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, and the inestimable atrocities that have accompanied it, fighting "war fatigue" is crucial.
“We have to remind people that this country is at war, and we need to survive,” he said.
UNITED24 will raise funds for the defense and demining of Ukraine, including through the purchase of weapons, protective gear, and military, rescue, and demining equipment, according to the initiative’s press release.
Donations will also go toward medical aid for Ukraine, by providing the country with medications, medical equipment, and transport, and the rehabilitation of healthcare facilities damaged or destroyed by hostilities.
The project's third component is dedicated to rebuilding Ukraine, such as through the restoration of critical infrastructure.
All donations will be transferred to the accounts of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) and assigned to the ministries of defense, health, and infrastructure.
In the first week following the initiative's launch, over $25 million was transferred to NBU accounts. The UNITED24 website received 220,000 visits a day after being launched.
This help is critical for the survival of Ukraine, Shevchenko said
"This is my contribution to my country because I want my country to have enough funds to survive and to defend itself," he added.
"Our economy is not working, how can you do anything when Russian soldiers are bombing our cities, are mining our fields?" he asked.
But he is also aware that this process is going to be a long one.
"To bring peace to our country, we need to win this war, we need to get rid of Russian soldiers on our land, and people have to come back," Shevchenko said.
Shevchenko also believes that Ukraine’s younger generations can make a big difference and that, with a united youth, Ukraine can strive toward the European values for which it was attacked by Russia.
“We are united because we are free people,” he said.
Alexander Query is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent. He is the former business editor at the Kyiv Post. He worked as a TV correspondent and an anchorman at UATV in Ukraine, and received a BA in modern literature from La Sorbonne, in Paris.
