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."
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaks to the press at the White House on November 10, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo credit: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Ukraine still needs to take more steps before joining NATO, U.S. Presidential Advisor Jake Sullivan said at a press conference on July 7.
"The U.S. strongly supports the open-door policy which says that Ukraine and NATO can make a decision on their pathway to membership, and Vilnius will be an important point on that pathway," Sullivan said.
"However, Ukraine still has further steps it needs to take before membership," he commented, adding that "Ukraine will not be joining NATO coming out of this summit."
Ukraine must undergo reforms to reach NATO standards, and the necessary steps will be discussed in Vilnius, the U.S. official said.
The U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith stated that Washington insists on certain reforms before Kyiv can enter the Alliance.
"There are standards that the Alliance sets for all members, and the president has made it clear that Ukraine will need to implement these reforms," Smith commented.
Vilnius will, however, satisfy Ukraine's aim to move away from the formulations of the Bucharest summit in 2008, she added. Germany and France blocked Ukraine from joining NATO during the previous summit in Romania's capital.
It appears many topics remain undecided and the issue of a faster admission process without the Membership Action Plan is still being discussed, the ambassador revealed. Similarly, there seems to be no consensus on security guarantees for Ukraine, said Amanda Sloat, the National Security Council senior director for Europe.
According to NATO Secertary-General Jens Stoltenberg, NATO member states are expected to adopt a three-part package to bring Ukraine closer to the Alliance during the upcoming summit in Vilnius on July 11-12.
Ukraine applied to join NATO in September 2022. While acknowledging the country cannot enter the alliance before the war's end, Ukrainian leadership has repeatedly called for a "clear signal" on the membership from the allies during the upcoming summit.
Earlier, Zelensky said that "there is no point" in Kyiv's attendance of the Vilnius summit unless the alliance offers a membership invitation or "some kind of signal."
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.
Mark Dietzen
