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Six Ukrainian companies focused on defense technology innovations will showcase their solutions at the industry-leading DSEI Japan 2025 exhibition in Chiba from May 21 to 23. This initiative is a collaboration between the Brave1 cluster and the tech giant Rakuten Group, paving the way for domestic dual-use technologies to enter the international market. Among the participants are developers of drones and components for UAVs (SkyFall Industries, Swarmer, Dwarf Engineering), and the Griselda intelligence platform, among others. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian-American startup

President Zelenskyy indicated that Ukraine is exploring the option of an international meeting that would include high-level delegations from Russia, the US, and potentially representatives from the EU and the UK. This meeting could be held in Turkey, the Vatican, or Switzerland, depending on which location is able to facilitate such an event. The Ukrainian president also stated that Ukraine will not withdraw its troops, does not plan to adopt neutralality, and remains committed to joining NATO. Furthermore, Zelenskyy highlighted

Western intelligence suggests that once the fighting in Ukraine concludes and a lasting ceasefire is established, Moscow could swiftly reposition troops to the borders of Finland, Norway, the Baltic states, and Belarus, directly adjacent to Poland’s eastern border. The intelligence indicates that around 800,000 troops could be repositioned. Russia could use the large-scale Zapad 2025 exercises as a cover for deploying troops in Belarus, similar to the 2021 exercise that saw Russian troops sent to the borders of Ukraine under

The EU Council has approved its 17th package of sanctions against Russia, targeting nearly 200 ships in the shadow fleet. As a result, the total number of sanctioned vessels transporting Russian oil, weapons, and stolen Ukrainian grain has risen to 342. In addition to the shadow fleet vessels, trade restrictions have been placed on companies from Turkey, Serbia, Uzbekistan, and the UAE that assisted the Russians in evading sanctions. The list of individuals and legal entities associated with the Russian

said Ukrainian Trade Representative Taras Kachka. He indicated that this topic will be discussed in the next stage of bilateral talks. Kachka noted that the Ukrainian side is interested in such an agreement, even though the US is not Ukraine’s largest trading partner. “We are interested in free trade agreements with all G7 countries. That is, we have them with Britain, Canada, and the EU. We also need the US and Japan.” According to the trade representative, more and more

On May 20, the IMF began its mission for the eighth review of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for Ukraine. The previous day, a foundational meeting was held with representatives from the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU), the Ministry of Finance, and IMF teams to discuss the program’s progress and the mission’s agenda. “The primary topics of discussion during the mission will include plans to enhance domestic revenue mobilization, ensure debt sustainability, and advance structural reforms in the financial sector.

The Banking Sector Review for Q1 2025 shows that banks are increasing the pace of business lending while also extending loans to the consumers. As a result, the growth of the net commercial hryvnia loan portfolio accelerated to 9.5% from the previous quarter and 28.4% year-over-year. “Traditionally, loans to farmers, wholesale trade enterprises, and sectors like construction and mechanical engineering have shown growth,” reported the NBU. Additionally, the net consumer hryvnia loan volume rose significantly, increasing by 6.7% quarterly and

Minister of Agricultural Policy Vitaly Koval mentioned that the agro-processing sector demonstrated growth last year. The most significant increase was seen in fruit and vegetable processing (over 27%), along with oil, animal fats, and dairy product production (approximately 13-14%). “Another positive indicator is the production of meat and meat products ($3.8B) and fish processing, which surpassed the 2021 figures by 1.5% and 8.1%, respectively,” he noted. According to Koval, this growth is also evident in the overall export of food

Ukraine has started importing gas through Slovakia, said Serhiy Makogon, the former head of the Ukrainian Gas Transmission System Operator. “Previously, imports came from Hungary and Poland, but the cheaper Hungarian route is already loaded, so suppliers are forced to buy more expensive capacity from Slovakia,” he detailed. According to him, the average daily import currently stands at about 14.5 million cubic meters, but to accumulate 13.6 billion cubic meters by November 1, it is necessary to increase imports by

By the end of the year, the port in the Odesa region intends to facilitate the transit of goods from Asia to EU nations. The route from Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyy to Galati covers 320 kilometers in total: 182 kilometers through Ukraine, 129 through Moldova, and nine through Romania. The establishment of this new rail connection is made possible by the comprehensive reconstruction of the Bendery-Bessarabyaska-Etulia-Giurgiulesti railway segment in Moldova. This extensive modernization of 230 kilometers of railway involves an investment of €108M

The Polish Cement Producers Association (SPC) is asking the EC to restrict imports of Ukrainian cement under the EU trade agreement with Ukraine. The proposed quota for Ukrainian cement is set at 360,000 tons, which reflects the average value from the last three years. This amount is nearly 50% less than the volume of cement exported to Poland last year. Polish imports of Ukrainian cement surged by almost 3,000% from 2019 to 2024, exceeding 650,000 tons in 2024; growth since

Ukraine’s entry into the SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) system, assuming the current volumes of international payments are maintained, will enable Ukrainian bank clients to save between €70 and €100M. Experts note that joining SEPA as part of European integration will lower the cost of international payments in euros for Ukrainian citizens and businesses. This will be achievable due to the removal of additional commissions and fees typically applied to international transactions outside of SEPA. SEPA standards ensure a high

Following a two-hour discussion with the Russian president on Monday, US President Donald Trump announced that negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv would commence “immediately” to end the war in Ukraine. “Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War,” Trump stated in a social-media post. He indicated that he had also updated European leaders following his conversation with Putin and noted that the Vatican had offered to facilitate the negotiations. He

Russian dictator Putin is convinced that his troops will break through Ukrainian defenses and take full control of four Ukrainian regions by the year’s end. According to Bloomberg, his confidence suggests he is unlikely to make any significant concessions. Thus, US attempts to impose a ceasefire on the parties have been unsuccessful, but appear to be reaching a climax. In Europe, it is uncertain whether Trump will increase pressure on Russia or simply shift focus to other issues. However, according

As reported by Reuters, the EU nations have come to a preliminary agreement on establishing a new credit mechanism for rearmament purposes entitled the Security Action For Europe (SAFE), which is valued at €150B. This initiative was introduced by the European Commission in March 2025 and will be financed through joint borrowing. The fund is intended to offer loans to EU member states as well as other nations, including Ukraine, to boost their defense capabilities and advance the European defense

European Commissioner for Economic Affairs Valdis Dombrovskis did not specify the proposed reduction, but may suggest lowering the cap from the current $60 to $50 per barrel. Dombrovskis intends to formally present this proposal during a meeting of G7 finance ministers later this week. Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen also supports the idea of strengthening sanctions against Russia, which continues its military action in Ukraine, suggesting a reduction in the oil cap, potentially down to $40 per barrel. Given recent

In the first three months of 2025, the share of NPLs in the banking sector decreased to 28.6%, which is 1.7 percentage points lower than at the beginning of the year and 8.8 percentage points lower than at the start of 2024 (37.4%). For the first time since 2022, this figure has fallen below 30%, and it may decrease further to 27-25% because Ukrainian banks have successfully reduced the share of NPL’s, primarily by writing off bad debt. However, to

As reported by the State Service of Geology and Subsoil, of the special permits for subsoil use issued in Ukraine, 154 are deemed dormant – indicating that less than 1% of the mineral reserves’ balance has been utilized over the past decade. This accounts for under 4.4% of the total valid permits for subsoil use in Ukraine as of April 2025 (3,503 permits) and approximately 6.3% of the extraction licenses (2,444 licenses). It is important to note that these 154

According to the NBU, as of April 1 ₴1.392T was held in banks and protected by the Deposit Guarantee Fund (DGF). Since the start of the year, this amount has hardly changed (+₴0.6B). Meanwhile, in 60 banks participating in the DGF, there were 70.4 million deposits from citizens and individual entrepreneurs, with more than a third of these deposits (35.9%) denominated in dollars and euros. However, most deposits are in the national currency: 60 million deposits totaling ₴892.8B (-₴6.7B since

The largest investment company in Ukraine currently holds approximately 600,000 square meters in its real estate portfolio, down from its peak of 800,000 square meters, said Tomasz Fiala, the founder and CEO of Dragon Capital. He noted that since 2016, the company had expanded the portfolio to 800,000 square meters: 400,000 square meters of warehouses, 200,000 square meters of offices, and 200,000 square meters of shopping malls. However, at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, three warehouses were destroyed. According