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.
Russia seems to be preparing a significant offensive in Ukraine as it is moving troops toward key positions on the front, the Financial Times reported on May 13, citing undisclosed Ukrainian intelligence officials.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, but said both leaders are ready to fly to Istanbul if Russian President Vladimir Putin chooses to attend the talks there.
President Volodymyr Zelensky records a video address to the world leaders in Kharkiv, Ukraine, at the printing house destroyed in a Russian strike that killed seven people. The address was published on May 26, 2024. (Presidential Office)
President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Ukraine's partners to allow Kyiv to use Western weapons to strike military targets in Russia on May 26.
"We see every point of concentration of Russian troops. We know all the areas where Russian missiles and combat aircraft are launched," Zelensky said in his evening address.
"Destroying this terrorist force, and thus saving thousands of lives and guaranteeing that the expansion of the war will be stopped, is purely a political decision. A decision that needs to be made."
Ukraine’s allies have discussed Kyiv’s calls to greenlight the use of Western weapons on military targeting within Russia. German Green Party politician Anton Hofreiter recently spoke in favor of the idea in order to protect Ukrainian civilians.
In his address, Zelensky also urged Ukraine’s partners to "speed up" and increase the supply of F-16s to Ukraine, as well as thanking them for their condolence and condemnation of the Russian May 25 strike on a hypermarket in Kharkiv that killed 16 people but said that "it’s important that this condemnation leads to entirely fair consequences."
"That we finally get a sufficient number of air defense systems to protect Ukraine and our cities. And that our partners have enough determination for preemptive protection against Russian terrorists, just as they would strike at any other terrorists – destroying them before they start taking lives," he said.
Ukrainian member of parliament Yehor Cherniev claimed that Washington has begun to discuss the decision to allow Ukraine to use U.S. weapons on Russian territory, citing informal conversations on the sidelines of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
"The problem so far is that decisions there are made by a team that currently lacks consensus. But there is pressure from all sides. There are chances, so we are not slowing down," he wrote on Telegram on May 26.
Speaking at an event in Berlin, Scholz said that Germany gave clear rules to Ukraine prohibiting the use of German weapons on Russian soil and that he sees no reason to change this. He added that his policy is to prevent escalation into a “really big war.”
We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.
Dinara Khalilova
