The EU plans to significantly increase tariffs on Ukrainian goods after the current duty-free deal lapses on June 6, the Financial Times reported on May 14, citing undisclosed diplomatic sources.
The blockade ended at 10:30 p.m. local time. Truck traffic in both directions is now moving as usual, according to Ukraine's State Border Guard's statement.
Russia seems to be preparing a significant offensive in Ukraine as it is moving troops toward key positions on the front, the Financial Times reported on May 13, citing undisclosed Ukrainian intelligence officials.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, but said both leaders are ready to fly to Istanbul if Russian President Vladimir Putin chooses to attend the talks there.
Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, said that the new pontiff had a phone call with Zelensky on Monday, during which the pope expressed willingness to facilitate meetings between global leaders and vowed to support efforts for "a just and lasting peace."
In an interview with French broadcaster TF1 on May 13, Macron discussed new Russia sanctions and stationing French nuclear weapons in other European countries as a deterrent against Russia.
Performing their song "Bird of Pray," Ukrainian band Ziferblat passed the Eurovision semi-finals on May 13, qualifying Ukraine for the grand final on May 17.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that a Russian delegation will be in Istanbul on May 15 for direct peace talks with Ukraine. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov will likely represent Russia.
The move follows Ukraine's ratification of the minerals agreement, deepening U.S.-Ukraine economic ties and signaling expanded U.S. involvement in Ukraine's long-term recovery.
"Ukraine has initiated a coordinated campaign to vilify Hungary in order to undermine our initiative to hold a poll on (Kyiv's) EU membership," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.
Photo for illustrative purposes: Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Rostock: The Greek oil tanker "Minerva Zenobia" is accompanied by tugboats as it travels through the deepened sea channel on Nov. 4, 2024. (Jens Büttner/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Swedish authorities are investigating damage to two communication cables in the Baltic Sea and whether the Chinese cargo ship Yi Peng 3 may have been involved, the Financial Times reported on Nov. 20, citing undisclosed sources.
Data from maritime tracking group MarineTraffic shows the Yi Peng 3, traveling from Russia to Egypt, passed near the Swedish-Lithuanian and Finnish-German cables on Nov. 17 and Nov. 18, the dates the cables were damaged.
The Swedish government has declined to publicly comment specifically on the ship but confirmed that a police investigation, supported by the Coast Guard and the Armed Forces, is underway.
The Yi Peng 3 is owned by the Ningbo Yipeng Shipping company based near Ningbo in eastern China. A company spokesperson confirmed to the Financial Times that the Chinese government had asked the company to cooperate with the investigation but declined to provide further details.
Telecom cables linking two Nordic countries with Germany and Lithuania were cut at the bottom of the Baltic Sea, raising suspicion of sabotage, various media outlets reported on Nov. 18.
This incident comes a little more than two years after unknown actors blew up the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, as well as amid mounting warnings of Russian hybrid and sabotage operations across Western countries, namely in the Baltic Sea region.
China is Russia's leading geopolitical partner, and NATO countries have accused Beijing of directly supporting Moscow's war of aggression in Ukraine.
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Chris York
