Advanced search

US President Joe Biden approved the US’ 72nd security and defense package to Ukraine, White House adviser John Kirby said last week. The assistance is provided within the US’ presidential drawdown powers (PDA). The Biden administration promises to continue to provide additional support packages until the end of its term. The US State Department has revealed the composition of the package and its cost – Ukraine will receive weapons worth $500M, including ammunition to counter unmanned aerial systems (c-UAS), HIMARS

The US will provide Ukraine with a new financial assistance package worth about $437M, Deputy Secretary of State and Acting US Special Representative for Economic Recovery for Ukraine Richard Verma said. Ukraine will receive: $74.7M to support the agricultural sector $223M to restore transport infrastructure and logistics $35M under the Project Preparation Facility program to increase the number of completed construction projects “from dozens to hundreds.” $105M to train Ukrainians for future work in the construction and industrial sectors. The

US President-Elect Donald Trump is categorically against launching strikes deep into Russian territory. He said that such strikes are escalating the war and making it worse. “This should not have been allowed. I think this is a huge mistake,” he said. However, Trump does not plan to reduce support for Ukraine. “I want to reach an agreement, and the only way to reach an agreement is not to leave Ukraine,” Trump said. White House adviser John Kirby emphasized that allowing

The series of Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy sector is part of a campaign aimed at freezing the country in winter, as well as forcing the West to adopt political decisions that are favorable to the Kremlin, says ISW. The publication recalls that on the night of December 13, Ukraine repelled a record-breaking aerial attack on its energy infrastructure. Russian troops launched 94 missiles and 193 drones. Energy operator DTEK reported that the strike caused severe damage to thermal power

Next year, Ukraine will spend about 25% of its GDP on defense, which is 900% more than European NATO allies’ average, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said during a keynote speech in Brussels. “This is a harsh reminder that freedom does not come for free. If we do not spend together now to prevent war, we will pay a much higher price later for participating in hostilities. Not billions, but trillions of euros. And this is if we prevail, if

The EC will continue to provide all the necessary support to Ukraine’s energy sector – not only in the winter but also in the future, said Mechthild Wörsdörfer, deputy director general for the European Commission Directoral General for Energy. “Ukraine is entering its third winter – probably the most difficult, given the recent attacks on energy infrastructure. Therefore, we would like to reiterate our full support to Ukraine and Moldova, now in the winter period and, of course, in the

European leaders, the NATO Secretary General, and President Zelenskyy will meet in Brussels on December 18. They are expected to discuss possible formats for ending the war and potentially establishing a European peacekeeping mission as a deterrent against future Russian aggression in Ukraine. The discussion comes amid pressure from US President-Elect Donald Trump for Europe to play a more active role in working toward a future agreement to end the war. The December 18-19 summit will bring together German Chancellor

The Ministry of Agrarian Policy, the Canadian NGO SOCODEVI, and the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Public Organization will cooperate to develop entrepreneurship for the rural population that has been affected by hostilities. The parties agreed on potential cooperation in the field of agriculture and the implementation of the WeProsper project. The signed memorandum provides for increasing the involvement of agricultural producers in entrepreneurial activities in the Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Mykolaiv regions. The project will be implemented through financial support from the

The Board of the National Bank of Ukraine increased the discount rate to 13.5% per annum. This takes place after inflation accelerated to 11.2% per annum in November. It is noted that the inflationary surge is increasingly acquiring fundamental characteristics, which is confirmed by the further acceleration of core inflation (to 9.3% in November). Inflation expectations currently demonstrate relative stability, but the risk of their imbalance increases against the background of increased public attention to inflationary processes. Inflation is expected

According to the NYT, Ukraine has postponed signing a minerals deal with the US,  and the agreement will likely be signed only after US President-Elect Donald Trump is inaugurated, allowing him, not Joe Biden, to announce it after taking office and present it as his victory. Ukrainian officials and businesspeople have tried to appeal to Trump’s pragmatic nature and emphasize that Ukraine is rich in natural resources that can support American industries that Trump wants to develop. Ukraine has deposits

Ukraine’s largest alternative electricity producer – Elementum Energy, owned by the international VR Capital Group, has launched a 200 MW wind farm project in western Ukraine. The power plant will be built an the intersection of the Lviv, Ternopil, and Rivne regions, and the project’s total investment is over €300M. The new wind farm is expected to generate about 700 GWh per year, which should be enough to provide electricity to about 600,000 people. Elementum Energy plans to begin constructing

US President-Elect Donald Trump said that he considers the war in Ukraine a higher priority for him than the conflict in the Middle East. Trump stressed the importance of resolving the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, noting that both countries are enduring huge losses and millions of people are suffering. According to him, although the situation in the Middle East is also significant, it is less complex than the war in Ukraine. Trump wants the US to resolve these problems

The US State Department has preliminarily approved the sale of maintenance-related equipment for F-16 fighters to the Ukrainian government, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement. Earlier, Kyiv officially requested necessary equipment and services to support F-16 operation. The estimated total cost of the equipment is $266.4M. This assistance package will improve Ukraine’s ability to withstand current and future threats through a more powerful air defense system. In turn, the House of Commons of the Parliament of

French President Emmanuel Macron shared an idea for a European peacekeeping mission in Ukraine that could involve 40,000 troops. The mission would become a new safeguard against future Russian attacks, following the Korean security guarantee model. This will be possible with an agreement between Russia and Ukraine to end the war’s current phase. Discussion of this mission will be a key topic of Macron’s talks in Warsaw, where he is due to visit on December 12. There are also assumptions

The Ukrainian government is preparing for a reduction in Western military aid next year and is trying to increase its domestic weapons production capacity. The emphasis is on weapon systems that can profoundly impact Russian territory. According to Ukrainian officials, the main direction of production is long-range strike drones. Drones have the advantage of being easier and faster to construct, but analysts note that they are only a partial solution. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy announced that tests of a new Ukrainian-made missile,

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who recently flew to the US to discuss Ukraine with Donald Trump and his team, spoke for an hour with Russian dictator Putin on December 11. “We are taking all possible diplomatic steps in favor of a ceasefire and peace talks,” he noted. The Kremlin reported that the parties discussed the countries’ economic cooperation and the war in Ukraine. Orban said he was interested “in promoting a joint search for ways to resolve the crisis

According to an Info Sapiens survey, 70.3% of Ukrainians positively assess a scenario in which NATO would invite Ukraine to join with its internationally recognized borders recognized. However, Article 5 of the NATO Charter, which guarantees collective defense, will not initially extend to territories currently occupied by Russia. Germany joined NATO under similar conditions in 1955. And eastern Germany didn’t join the Alliance until almost four decades later, after the country’s unification. However, a significant difference is that Ukraine will

However, the likely termination of US aid to Ukraine could become a serious challenge, so Ukraine needs a plan for cooperation with the new US administration, said Minister of Finance Serhiy Marchenko. The Ministry of Finance assumes that tax revenue receiving almost half of the $50B that the G7 countries will provide from Russian assets will make it possible to provide all of the Ukrainian military’s critical needs. “The state budget for 2025 is formed in the way to pass

In Ukraine, 75% of 31 private companies in the defense-industrial complex said they are not negotiating to conclude any government weapons contracts for 2025. Only 19% of manufacturers have transitional contracts extended for the next year. Most of these agreements involve production that takes up to five months. In contrast, manufacturers of complex technological products with six-to-eight-month production cycles have almost no agreements. More than 50% predict that 2025 government orders will load their capacities by less than 30%. Only

The Kingspan Group will build a building materials production plant in the Murovans’ka AH (Lviv region). The company will invest €280M in constructing an innovative, sustainable building materials campus, said the Executive Director of the Kingspan Group, Mike Stenson. The campus will include six production areas, including innovative insulation materials and solutions for central heating. The main goal of the project is to create high-tech construction products with high-added value. The project is currently under development, and the construction of