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."
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg addresses a press conference at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, on October 11, 2023. (Simon Wohlfahrt/AFP via Getty Images)
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg closed day one of the defense ministerial meeting on Oct. 11, welcoming allies’ newly pledged military aid for Ukraine – which includes F-16 fighter jets, crucial air defense systems for winter, and much-needed ammunition.
Speaking at a press conference at Brussels’ NATO headquarters, Stoltenberg applauded the 16th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group – a U.S. initiative involving more than 50 nations – in which he says world leaders “focused on Ukraine’s most urgent needs.”
The long day of meetings at various levels kicked off with President Volodymyr Zelensky making an unannounced visit to the headquarters – his first since 2021.
Some of the new pledges include the U.S.’s more than $200 million of aid in air defense, artillery, and rocket ammunition, as well as Germany’s one billion-euro package that includes powerful Patriot and IRIS-T air defense systems.
Other developments include Belgium and Denmark’s confirmation to deliver F-16s to Ukraine, and Canada’s tens of millions of dollars worth of donations to provide winter clothing and equipment for Ukrainian soldiers as the cold weather approaches.
In a tweet posted by Zelensky right after the day’s end, the president thanked allies, particularly Croatia, Sweden, Poland, Greece, and Latvia, for “powerful decisions on military aid for Ukraine and reaffirming earlier commitments” at the meeting.
“The international coalition works to ensure our common victory,” Zelensky said.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (R), and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov (L) attend the NATO-Ukraine Council session of the NATO Defense Ministers Meeting at the NATO's headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on October 11, 2023. (Photo by Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The timeframe for the long-awaited F-16 fighter jets’ arrival also became clearer.
At a press conference on Oct. 11, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that Ukraine could receive F-16s as early as the Spring of next year after Ukrainian pilots go through the training – currently taking place in the U.S. and Europe.
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told the Danish TV2 state-owned broadcaster that his country is expected to supply Ukraine with six of its 19 F-16s in March or April 2024.
"This is a natural move following the leading role Denmark already has in relation to the military support for Ukraine and especially in relation to the donation of F-16 fighter jets," he told TV2.
Both Ukraine and the U.S. leaders said they discussed the war-torn country’s most vital needs – ammunition and air defense systems as Russia resumes targeting critical infrastructure countrywide with missiles and attack drones.
Though much of the Oct. 11 meeting focused on Ukraine, the agenda for day two of the defense ministerial includes discussions on strengthening NATO security, suspected damage to the gas Nord Stream pipeline in the Baltic Sea, and the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Asami Terajima is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent covering Ukrainian military issues, front-line developments, and politics. She is the co-author of the weekly War Notes newsletter. She previously worked as a business reporter for the Kyiv Post focusing on international trade, infrastructure, investment, and energy. Originally from Japan, Terajima moved to Ukraine during childhood and completed her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in the U.S. She is the winner of the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Kurt Schork Award in International Journalism 2023 (Local Reporter category) and the George Weidenfeld Prize, awarded as part of Germany's Axel Springer Prize 2023. She was also featured in the Media Development Foundation’s “25 under 25: Young and Bold” 2023 list of emerging media makers in Ukraine.
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