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."
Farmers plant seed outside of Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast on Sept. 6, 2023. (Wolfgang Schwan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images).
Ukrainian farmers have planted nearly 4.5 million hectares of winter crops, the Agriculture Ministry said on Oct. 17.
However, the volume of winter crops is expected to drop by 20% compared to last year as farmers lack financial resources, MP Dmytro Solomchuk told Ukrinform.
So far, farmers have sown 3,018,000 hectares of wheat, 260,000 hectares of barley, 63,000 hectares of rye, and 1,124,000 hectares of winter rapeseed.
Agricultural workers planted 760,000 hectares in the past week.
Solomchuk noted that the decrease in winter crops will result in less bread produced next season and stressed that farmers need urgent solutions.
“Loans are very good for the agricultural sector, but our agricultural sector is already heavily indebted by more than Hr 100 billion ($2.7 billion), and these are already some big risks,” the MP said.
He suggested introducing a “Grain of Ukraine” fund and issuing bonds to purchase 10 million metric tons of wheat from farmers at a fixed price to store in private certified grain elevators.
The plan would then allow farmers to buy back the wheat at this fixed price after having paid to store the grain in the elevators.
Solomchuk believes the decision will allow farmers to receive funds to pay shares and cover expenses related to the fall harvest and sowing campaigns, as well as equipment repairs and the purchase of fertilizers and seeds.
Dominic is the business reporter for the Kyiv Independent. He has written for a number of publications including the Financial Times, bne IntelliNews, Radio Free Europe/Liberty, Euronews and New Eastern Europe. Previously, Dominic worked with StopFake as a disinformation expert, debunking Russian fake news in Europe.
Dominic Culverwell
