Melkonyants was arrested in August 2023 in connection with the activities of the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations (ENEMO), which was co-founded by Golos's legal predecessor, the Golos association.
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.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio (C), U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz (R) and U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff attend an interview after meeting with Russian officials in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 18, 2025. (Evelyn Hockstein / AFP via Getty Images)
A number of U.S. officials and Republican lawmakers are continuing their criticism of President Volodymyr Zelensky, with some suggesting that Zelensky may have to resign, following the president's heated exchange at the White House with U.S. President Donald Trump on Feb. 28.
During an interview with NBC News on March 2, House Speaker Mike Johnson took aim at Zelensky suggesting he "needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude or someone else needs to lead the country."
"What President Zelensky did in the White House was effectively a signal to us that he’s not ready for (peace talks), and I think that’s a great disappointment," Johnson said.
Johnson's remarks fall in line with Senator Lindsey Graham — formerly a staunch supporter of Ukraine — who said on Feb. 28 that Zelensky "is either going to have to fundamentally change or go."
Zelensky rebuked calls for his resignation from Republican lawmakers following the exchange, saying on Fox News that "only Ukrainians vote for their president."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has defended Trump since the incident, also criticized Zelensky in separate interview with ABC News on March 2, stating that the United States will "be ready to reengage when they’re ready to make peace." Rubio added that he has not spoken to Zelensky or members of the Ukrainian delegation since they were ordered to leave the White House.
Rubio's comments echo those of Trump who told reporters following the spat that the Ukrainian president was "looking for something that I'm not looking for" and again asserted that Zelenskyy wanted to "fight, fight, fight."
Zelensky pushed back on Trump's comments during his interview asserting that Ukraine is "ready for peace but we need to be in a good position."
"We want peace... that's why I visited President Trump," Zelensky added.
White House national security advisor Mike Waltz also criticized Zelensky on March 2, stating that "We need a leader that can deal with us, eventually deal with the Russians and end this war."
When asked if Trump wanted Zelensky to resign, Waltz declined to directly answer the question, responding that "If it becomes apparent that President Zelenskyy’s either personal motivations or political motivations are divergent from ending the fighting in his country, then I think we have a real issue on our hands."
Waltz, in a comment to far-right media outlet Breitbart News on March 1, compared Zelensky to "an ex-girlfriend that wants to argue everything that you said."
As U.S. officials continue to lambast the Ukrainian president over the incident, European allies are gathering in London to reaffirm their support for Zelensky and the embattled country.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in an interview with the BBC on March 2 that the U.K., France, Ukraine, and possibly other countries will develop a ceasefire planthat will be presented to the U.S.
Dmytro Basmat is a senior news editor for The Kyiv Independent. He previously worked in Canadian politics as a communications lead and spokesperson for a national political party, and as a communications assistant for a Canadian Member of Parliament. Basmat has a Master's degree in Political Management from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Governance from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Martin Fornusek
