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."
President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to the press in Kyiv in December 2023. (Andrew Kravchenko/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The Ukrainian government is creating "a new tool to communicate with entrepreneurs," the Ukrainian Economic Platform, which will include representatives of small, medium, and large businesses from across Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Jan. 26.
The move follows the recent detention of influential investment banker Ihor Mazepa, perceived by some as an escalation of law enforcement pressure on businesses. Mazepa is suspected of illegally seizing land in Kyiv Oblast in 2020-2021, which he has denied.
The Ukrainian Economic Platform "Made in Ukraine" will be managed by the government together with the Presidential Office, regional state administrations, and experts.
"' Made in Ukraine' is not just a brand, it is a large community of people, millions of Ukrainian men and women who work at enterprises. These are our people who found businesses that create jobs for others. The entire community of our business will be represented on the new platform," Zelensky said in his evening address.
"The main task is for it to be a tool for effective communication, which will always be supported by operational decisions — by what state institutions do or change, and what will create a new, normal history of relations, in particular, between law enforcement and entrepreneurs."
Zelensky added he had signed a decree to formally launch the business support council that he announced earlier. According to the decree, the council will include seven prominent Ukrainian businessmen.
Those are Artem Borodatiuk, co-founder of Netpeak, Oleh Horokhovskyi, co-founder of Monobank, Kostiantyn Yefymenko, head of Biopharma, Taras Kytsmei, co-owner of SoftServe, Viacheslav Klymov, a member of Nova Poshta’s supervisory board, Oleksandr Konotopskyi, co-owner of Ajax Systems, and Dmytro Oliinyk, head of Ukraine's Council of the Federation of Employers.
Mazepa, a Ukrainian businessman and the founder of the Concorde Capital investment firm known for his criticism of state pressure on business was detained on Jan. 18, which he called an unfounded attack against his business.
His arrest sparked criticism from the Ukrainian business community that called the incident a continuation of systemic pressure from the state, including unannounced searches, asset seizure, and detentions. Ukrainian business leaders met with senior government officials on Jan. 22 to address these concerns.
Mazepa was released from pre-trial detention on Jan. 23 after a court reduced his bail from the initial Hr 350 million ($9.3 million) to Hr 21 million ($550,450).
Vladyslav Kudryk
