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Ukrainians are currently pondering a crucial decision – to continue the fight or negotiate for peace, and the Biden administration is committed to providing Ukraine with the strongest possible position, said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. This means further work is needed to strengthen Ukraine’s position on the battlefield and to continue exerting maximum pressure on Russia. He stressed that the ceasefire must occur on fair terms and with a long-term perspective. It is essential not to give Russia

The Biden administration will announce its final Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) package in the coming days, using the remaining funds that have been reserved to purchase new weapons for Kyiv. The package, worth about $1.2B, will likely include interceptors for air defense and artillery ammunition. Under the USAI program, military equipment is purchased from industry or partners, not from American stocks. Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said that Washington aims to use as much as possible of the allocated $6.7B

Beginning January 1 2025, the Ukrainian GTS will be able to transport gas of Russian origin only at the request of the European Commission, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said. At the same time, according to the Association Agreement with the EU and the Energy Charter Treaty, Ukraine is obliged to ensure the transit of Russian oil to Europe at the EC’s request. “Therefore, technically, transit requested by the European side continues. However, we are working to impose 100% sanctions on

Changes that ease currency restrictions in three areas came into force on December 21. This easing will support domestic producers and improve the conditions for doing business in Ukraine. At the same time, it will not significantly impact exchange rate dynamics or the international reserves level. The NBU allowed legal entities and individual entrepreneurs to buy and sell bank metals without physical delivery for non-cash hryvnias. The NBU permitted expanded currency purchases for Energoatom. These changes will enable the uninterrupted

The EU should consider taking bolder measures, such as confiscating the Russian Central Bank’s foreign assets as compensation for Ukraine, said Valdis Dombrovskis, the European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs. The discussions have gained new momentum as the bloc faces the risk of the US cutting or ending aid to Ukraine after Donald Trump’s inauguration. The EU’s diplomatic service is conducting new assessments of the financial and economic risks of confiscating Russian assets and transferring them to Ukraine. Several

European countries would consider sending military personnel to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, but they will not unite peacekeeping forces under the NATO flag, as a NATO mission requires unanimous consent of all Alliance members and may provoke Russia. The Kremlin previously stated that a conflict with the military bloc is inevitable if its contingent appears on Ukrainian territory. Negotiations on sending troops are at an early stage because there are no prospects for a ceasefire. Some European

The real GDP growth rate slowed from 1.1% year-on-year in October to 0.7% in November. The reason is Russian shelling of energy and industrial infrastructure, the Institute for Economic Research (IER) stated. In particular, these most recent massive attacks led to the return of significant planned and emergency power outages, which affected both industrial enterprises and the civilian population. The launch of decentralized power generation capacities by enterprises and the possibility to import electricity provided support for business stability during

The European Commission has announced macro-financial assistance to Ukraine through a loan of €18.1B, which will be paid in equal installments throughout 2025 with the first tranche expected in January. This amount is the EU’s contribution to the G7 initiative (ERA), which provides for the collective provision of a €45B loan, which will allow Ukraine to cover budgetary and military expenses as well as reconstruction costs. The loan will be repaid with proceeds from Russian sovereign assets held in the

In 2024, global mergers and acquisitions (M&A) volume will  top $3T, up 11%. The value of deals worth more than $5B has increased 19% since the beginning of the year, while the number of deals has fallen 20% to a nine-year low. High-profile deals include Mars’ $35.9B acquisition of Kellanova and Capital One Financial’s $35.3B acquisition of rival Discover Financial Services. Experts expect Trump’s return to the White House to mean less scrutiny from regulators on large mergers, following the

The US has made an exception to the sanctions imposed on Gazprombank to allow payment for Russian gas by Hungary and Turkey. The Hungarian Foreign Ministry believes the latest sanctions against Russia may negatively affect some US allies. In turn, Ukraine expressed hope that the Gazprombank exceptions are only temporary and that the restrictions will be fully restored later. “Any relaxation harm collective efforts aimed at increasing pressure on the aggressor and restoring peace, security, and stability,” the Ukrainian Foreign

In January next year, the UK and its partners will supply Ukraine with thousands of combat drones as part of the Maritime and Drone Capability Coalitions. Britain will also continue training Ukrainian military personnel; 51,000 defenders have already been trained. Secretary of State for Defense John Healey stated that Britain may also train Ukrainian military personnel in Ukraine. In addition, the plans for next year include the development of Ukraine’s defense sector, as well as in Britain and throughout Europe.

President Zelenskyy and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met in Brussels to discuss achieving a unified European position on the issue of Ukraine’s support. The parties discussed the provision of 19 air defense systems to protect critical infrastructure. Supporting Ukraine economically through the purchase of Ukrainian weapons based on the model already being used by Denmark and Lithuania is also being considered. The NATO Secretary General stressed the need to ensure the best conditions for Ukraine in future peace talks.

According to Mykhailo Bno-Airiyan, Eurofasttrack is not just a political choice but a strategic necessity. “For Europe and the US, this is a unique chance to consolidate Ukraine in the Western democratic space, significantly reduce the risk of future conflicts, and ensure long-term stability in Eastern Europe. In addition, this will help avoid an ideological turn similar to the one currently observed in Georgia and partly in Moldova. Eurofasttrack is not only about Ukraine but also about strengthening the entire

Donald Trump’s return to the White House is now the primary issue for senior officials in European capitals. Their biggest concern is what will happen to Ukraine, Eurasia Group noted. The EU has already agreed on one overriding priority: to do everything possible to convince Trump that Ukraine should enter negotiations from a position of strength and that a bad deal for Ukraine would make the US look weak on the international stage. The EU is particularly wary of the

Continuing and strengthening support for Ukraine while Putin makes every effort to break Ukrainian resistance is a strategic imperative for the EU, said EC President Ursula von der Leyen in the European Parliament. She noted that after three years of full-scale war, Russia has not been able to break Ukrainian resistance. Putin is now trying to do this with the use of new weapons, with new troops from North Korea, and with new attacks on energy infrastructure. Von der Leyen

The Economist notes that the Ukrainian economy looks “healthier” than the Russian economy did after the start of the full-scale war. Ukraine’s economy has been rebuilt to navigate the realities of wartime. However, it is still 25% smaller than in 2021. Meanwhile, the NBU forecasts GDP growth of 4% in 2024 and 4.3% in 2025. The currency is stable, and the discount rate of 13.5% is close to a 30-month low. However, state spending is greater than revenue. Almost the

Western capitals need to stop pushing President Zelenskyy into peace talks and instead fulfill their promises of security guarantees for Ukraine, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas said. “There’s no point in pushing Zelenskyy into talks when Putin doesn’t want to talk. Russia doesn’t want peace. Supporting Ukraine now is much cheaper than enduring war later. Russia hasn’t changed its goals,” she added. Instead, Kallas stressed that Western countries should do everything they can to strengthen Ukraine’s position now “because the

President Zelenskyy called on the EU to unite and actively participate in future negotiations to establish peace in Ukraine. He stressed that future talks should be based on strong positions for both the EU and Ukraine. “And the strength of Europe is in unity,” Zelenskyy stressed. The Ukrainian leader warned against the danger of a temporary cessation of hostilities, which, according to him, Putin seeks to buy time. The goal should be to achieve real, sustainable, and guaranteed peace. Also,

Britain will allocate additional military equipment to Ukraine worth £225M ($286M) to support it in the war against Russia. The new package includes: £92M to support the navy £68M for air defense equipment £26M for spare parts and maintenance of previously delivered systems £39M for the supply of more than 1,000 electronic warfare systems for use against drones, along with other means of protection In addition, Britain will continue to provide military training for Ukrainian servicemen. London may also send

According to Deputy Energy Minister Mykola Kolisnyk, the completion of Russian gas transit through Ukraine will begin competition for new routes and resources, including LNG, which is becoming an increasingly large percentage of the EU’s overall consumption. Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities and Polish LNG gas terminals can create a new business model that will replace gas transit from Russia. “Integration of gas markets based on existing infrastructure and increasing available interstate capacity give impetus to the development of trade