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."
Pope Francis delivers his Sunday Angelus blessing overlooking St. Peter's Square on July 30, 2023, in Vatican City, Vatican. (Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
Switzerland has invited Pope Francis to attend the upcoming global peace summit dedicated to ending the war in Ukraine, Swiss President Viola Amherd said in an interview with the news outlet Blick published May 5.
The summit will be held on June 15-16 in central Switzerland, and 160 national delegations will be invited to the talks.
Amherd met with the pope during a visit to Italy and called the conversation an "interesting exchange...in a cordial atmosphere."
"We talked in particular about the war in Ukraine and other trouble spots in the world," Amherd said.
Amherd confirmed that Switzerland officially invited the pope to participate in the June summit.
"The Vatican is very positive about the peace conference," she said.
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Ukraine Weekly By Olga Rudenko
Pope Francis called for Russia and Ukraine to exchange all prisoners of war during a Catholic Easter sermon on March 31.
"Calling for respect for the principles of international law, I express desire for a general exchange of all prisoners between Russia and Ukraine: all for all!" Pope Francis said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 3 that Ukraine is considering such an exchange, and will discuss the topic of an all-for-all prisoner swap at the global peace summit in June.
Ukraine has not always welcomed the Vatican's commentary on Russia's full-scale invasion. Pope Francis drew criticism from Zelensky and other European leaders when he urged Ukraine on March 9 to negotiate peace terms with Russia.
The June peace summit will be centered around Ukraine's 10-point peace formula, a plan first outlined by Zelensky in fall 2022 that calls for a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied Ukrainian lands.
Russia has not been invited to participate in the global peace summit, and Moscow has said it would refuse to attend even if invited.
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Mia Billetdeaux
