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.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks to members of the press after the House of Representatives passed bills, including aid to Ukraine and Israel, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on April 20, 2024. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Oct. 11 that he no longer has "an appetite for further Ukraine funding" and hopes that a November electoral victory for former U.S. President Donald Trump will bring a swift end to the war.
Johnson, a Republican and staunch Trump supporter, has served as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives since October 2023. He helped delay aid to Kyiv last fall by refusing to hold a vote on various iterations of a $61 billion foreign assistance bill, but eventually reached a deal to pass the bill.
"I don't have an appetite for further Ukraine funding, and I hope it's not necessary," Johnson said on Oct. 11 in an interview with Punchbowl News.
"If President Trump wins, I believe that he actually can bring that conflict to a close. I really do. I think he'll call (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and tell him that this is enough."
The U.S. presidential election, now less than a month away, holds high stakes for Ukraine. The candidates have diverged sharply on their stances toward ongoing support for Kyiv.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that he will end the full-scale war within 24 hours after being elected and has criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for failing to "make a deal" with Russia. He has also vowed to get the U.S. "out" of the conflict if he wins in November.
Vice President Kamala Harris has accused Trump of advocating a Ukrainian surrender and has said she would refuse to engage in any peace negotiations with Russia without Ukraine's participation.
Johnson's remarks lend fuel to fears that a Trump victory would signal an end to U.S. military aid for Ukraine. In the interview, he suggested that the international community is also tired of continuing to support Ukraine's defense and that a Harris presidency would lead to an endless war.
"And I think everybody around the world is weary of this, and they want it to be resolved," he said.
"So whatever the terms are, I'm not sure, but I think if Kamala Harris is president, I don't think it ends, and that's a desperate and dangerous scenario."
Abbey Fenbert is a senior news editor at the Kyiv Independent. She is a freelance writer, editor, and playwright with an MFA from Boston University. Abbey served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine from 2008-2011.
Asami Terajima
