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.
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 during a press briefing in Kyiv on June 2, 2023. (Photo: President's Office)
President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a press briefing on June 2 that it is "very challenging" for Ukraine to receive the amount of Patriot air defense system it needs to fully protect its skies due to the waiting time to receive them.
"Our task is not 70-75% target destruction, but 100%. Yes, it is indeed an ambitious goal. It is very challenging, not only due to the waiting time for Patriot air defense systems but also for the missiles they require," Zelensky said.
According to Zelensky, Ukraine knows exactly how many Patriot systems it needs to protect its air space.
During the European Political Community in Moldova on June 1, Zelensky held meetings with the leaders of Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the European Union about creating a so-called Patriot coalition.
"The question is not whether each of these countries can provide us with this," Zelensky said, adding that it was a matter of helping Ukraine to procure the air defense system.
"Some of them have the ability to provide it, and others have different means of aiding us, including political and personal relationships with states that have the relevant missile defense systems. There are those that have finances, others that have influence," Zelensky explained.
The Patriot air defense system has played a vital role in protecting Ukrainian cities and minimizing casualties during Russian attacks.
Ukraine's Air Force confirmed in early May that it had used the Patriot air defense system to shoot down a Russian Kh-47 Kinzhal ballistic missile for the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion.
U.S. National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby announced on May 31 that the U.S. would provide Ukraine with more air defense, including additional missiles for the Patriot air defense system, in response to increased Russian attacks over the past month.
Kate Tsurkan is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent who writes mostly about culture-related topics in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. Her newsletter Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan, which focuses specifically on Ukrainian culture, is published weekly by the Kyiv Independent. The U.S. publisher Deep Vellum published her co-translation of Ukrainian author Oleh Sentsov’s Diary of a Hunger Striker in 2024. Some of her other writing and translations have appeared in The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Harpers, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere. She is the co-founder of Apofenie Magazine.
Illia Ponomarenko
