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."
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in Kyiv on Feb. 26, 2024. (Eugen Kotenko / Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
This March, Ukraine will receive the largest budget financing from its allies since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion and the start of Ukraine's independence, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on March 29.
Ukraine will receive more than $9 billion in financial aid in March, including 4.5 billion euros ($4.9 billion) from the European Union through its four-year Ukraine Facility, $1.5 billion in loans from the World Bank, $880 million from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), $1.5 billion from Canada, and $230 million from Japan, according to Shmyhal.
"These are vital resources that help our government finance all the critical budget expenditures today," Shmyhal wrote on his Telegram channel.
Shmyhal said during a government meeting in November 2023 that Ukraine expects to receive more than $30 billion in financial aid from its international partners to finance Ukraine's budget deficit in 2024.
According to Shmyhal, Ukraine expects to receive financial assistance of $5.4 billion from the IMF, 18 billion euros ($19 billion) from the EU, more than $10 billion from the U.S., as well as additional financial aid from Japan, the U.K., Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, and other allies.
President Volodymyr Zelensky approved Ukraine's state budget for 2024 last November following its passage in parliament. State budget revenues were set at Hr 1.78 trillion ($45 billion), while expenditures were almost double, at Hr 3.35 trillion ($85 billion).
The remaining expenditures would fall within the deficit, which was set at 1.57 trillion ($40 billion). The budget also included Hr 2 trillion ($51 billion) in external borrowing and internal government bonds.
Yaroslav Zhelezniak
