"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."
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.
A screenshot of a video shared on Jan. 5 showing a cross-border border raid on Russia's Belgorod Oblast carried out by Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR). (HUR/Telegram)
Ukraine's military intelligence (widely known under its Ukrainian acronym, HUR) said on Jan. 5 that its forces engaged in a cross-border raid on Russian positions in Belgorod Oblast and inflicted an undisclosed number of losses.
Incursions into Russia's western Belgorod Oblast have been reported on several occasions since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Most notable were high-profile battles that occurred after a group of armed men calling themselves members of the Free Russia Legion and the Russian Volunteer Corps recorded videos saying they had crossed into Russia in May 2023 and taken hold of several villages.
The HUR said it had received intelligence that Russian commanders planned to inspect military positions in the Gayvoron district of Belgorod Oblast, some 80 kilometers west of the city of Belgorod and the location of the May 2023 incursions.
The inspections were allegedly due to complaints from Russian soldiers about poor conditions in the area, the HUR said.
A corresponding operation was planned, and the HUR mined the only road in the area and attacked a Russian platoon, sharing a video of parts of the assault. The number of casualties inflicted was still being determined, the HUR said.
The incursion comes after Russia claimed that at least 24 people were killed in an attack on Belgorod on Dec. 30.
Several Ukrainian media outlets reported, citing anonymous sources in Ukraine's special services, that Ukrainian forces had launched an attack on military facilities in Belgorod in response to Russia's Dec. 29 massive attack on Ukraine that killed over 50 people.
Debris from anti-air munitions fell in the Belgorod city center "due to the unprofessional actions of the Russian air defense," according to the sources.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify any of the claims above. Kyiv generally does not comment on reports of attacks and explosions on Russian soil.
Maria Yeryoma
