Finance

Wednesday, February 26

The EU still cannot reach a compromise on the confiscation of frozen Russian assets: Who is against it?

The EU still cannot reach a compromise on the confiscation of frozen Russian assets: Who is against it? Support is still not unanimous among EU states for the confiscation of frozen Russian assets held in the EU and it is unlikely that a decision will be made in March, said EU foreign policy chief Kaja ...

Tuesday, February 25

Ukraine will receive €3.5B from the EU in March.

Ukraine will receive €3.5B from the EU in March. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in Kyiv that Ukraine will receive a new €3.5B payment from the EU in March. She emphasized that not only is Ukraine’s fate at stake, ...

Monday, February 24

The EU is working on the confiscation of frozen Russian assets held in the EU.

The EU is working on the confiscation of frozen Russian assets held in the EU. The EU is considering the potential confiscation of around $280B in frozen assets belonging to the Russian Central Bank in light of a possible reduction in aid from the US. There is ongoing discussion...

The war has not halted the Ukrainian M&A market, but it is altering its priorities.

The war has not halted the Ukrainian M&A market, but it is altering its priorities. The increase in overall activity among international investors last year in the M&A sector may provide an additional impetus for inward investment in Ukraine. Despite the war and the accompanying ...

Friday, February 21

Trumps statements concerning Ukraine are not justified: How much money has the US actually spent on Ukraine during the three-year war?

Trumps statements concerning Ukraine are not justified: How much money has the US actually spent on Ukraine during the three-year war? Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the US Congress has allocated around $183B to Ukraine, not $350B as President Donald Trump claims, according to data from t...

Lending to small and medium-sized businesses is on the rise in Ukraine.

Lending to small and medium-sized businesses is on the rise in Ukraine. The proportion of hryvnia loans for small and medium-sized enterprises is increasing rapidly, with a 22.1% surge in volume over the past year, said Andriy Pyshny, NBU Chairman. “Throughout the y...

Where in Ukraine did investors put their money in 2024?

Where in Ukraine did investors put their money in 2024? Last year, there were no investment deals in Ukraine worth over $200M, whereas in 2023, the largest M&A deal reached a value of $500M, according to analysts. Foreign investors accounted for 45% of...

Thursday, February 20

Trump stated that it’s unclear how Ukraine spent the $350B in aid it received from the US; Zelenskyy corrects his counterpart’s figure.

Trump stated that it’s unclear how Ukraine spent the $350B in aid it received from the US; Zelenskyy corrects his counterpart’s figure. US President Donald Trump remarked that Washington allocated $350B in assistance to Ukraine, but “nobody knows where this money went.” He added that Ukraine “will have to pay or deal...

McKinsey recorded a recovery in the private equity market last year.

McKinsey recorded a recovery in the private equity market last year. After two years of uncertainty, the private equity (PE) market began to show signs of recovery in 2024. The main drivers were an increase in the number of deals, a rise in investment exits, and a decr...

Demand at primary government bond auctions has dropped to a low point.

Demand at primary government bond auctions has dropped to a low point. On February 18, the Ministry of Finance raised ₴249.42M for the state budget at an auction for domestic government bonds, which is ₴770.58M less than the previous week. These are the results from the ...

Tuesday, February 18

In Ukraine, household loans have become more expensive, even though banks attract funds at lower rates.

In Ukraine, household loans have become more expensive, even though banks attract funds at lower rates. In January 2025, Ukrainian banks raised their rates on household loans, according to operational data from the National Bank. Consequently, average interest rates on new bank loans to consumers in the...

Friday, February 14

Last year, Ukraine’s insurance market shrank by 36%: the NBU sums up the sector’s annual results.

Last year, Ukraine’s insurance market shrank by 36%: the NBU sums up the sector’s annual results. According to the National Bank, Ukrainian insurance companies specializing in non-life insurance increased collected premiums by 12% in 2024 and in the life insurance segment by 14%. Growth is occurri...

Thursday, February 13

Winning the Economic and Financial War in Ukraine.

Winning the Economic and Financial War in Ukraine. In advance of expected talks upon Trump’s presidency in early 2025, “land for peace” has become the catchphrase uttered by those who want a quick end to the war. Central among the innumerable c...

Wednesday, February 12

Ukraine can fund its defense in the war if adequate Russian sanctions are in place.

Ukraine can fund its defense in the war if adequate Russian sanctions are in place. As former US Deputy Secretary of State James Glassman noted, the US and the EU “did not pressure” Russia on the issue of sanctions because they overlooked the fact that Ukraine can replace...

The EU will follow the US’s lead and will review billions of euros in foreign aid allocation.

The EU will follow the US’s lead and will review billions of euros in foreign aid allocation. According to Bloomberg, the EU will review its foreign aid, shifting several billion euros to better align the bloc’s funding allocation “with its foreign policy interests in difficult int...

Ukraine’s largest oil producer wants to build 200 MW of green capacity in addition to gas generation.

Ukraine’s largest oil producer wants to build 200 MW of green capacity in addition to gas generation. Ukrnafta, part of the Naftogaz group, which, with the support of the EBRD, has planned projects to generate energy using its gas, is additionally working to attract investment to build around 200 MW o...

Tuesday, February 11

Ukraine plans to allocate ₴739B for weapons procurement in 2025, focusing on a transition to long-term contracts.

Ukraine plans to allocate ₴739B for weapons procurement in 2025, focusing on a transition to long-term contracts. This year, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced a historic budget of at least ₴739B ($17.5B) for Ukraine’s weapons production and procurement program. He highlighted that the emphasis will be ...

Shares of Ukrainian companies are rising significantly as investors anticipate an end to the war.

Shares of Ukrainian companies are rising significantly as investors anticipate an end to the war. The index of Ukrainian shares on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, WIG Ukraine, reached pre-war levels at the end of last week, jumping by nearly 25% in just a few days. This surge reflects the Warsaw financ...

Friday, February 7

Ukrainian bonds rise on hopes for a Trump peace plan.

Ukrainian bonds rise on hopes for a Trump peace plan. According to Bloomberg, Ukrainian dollar bonds have increased for five consecutive days, reaching new records as investors show optimism about a potential peace settlement. Specifically, bonds maturin...

Tuesday, February 4

Greece calls on the EU to establish a €100B fund for its defense.

Greece calls on the EU to establish a €100B fund for its defense. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, while preparing for a new EU defense strategy, has proposed creating a fund of at least €100B for the EU’s overall defense budget. Mitsotakis’ pro...

Monday, February 3

Ukraine is seeking Trump’s support for using frozen Russian assets to purchase American weapons.

Ukraine is seeking Trump’s support for using frozen Russian assets to purchase American weapons. According to the WP, Since Donald Trump took office as US president, Ukraine has stepped up its efforts to access the Russian Central Bank’s frozen assets to finance weapon supplies. Kyiv hopes ...

The NBU expects that Ukraine’s international aid will decrease.

The NBU expects that Ukraine’s international aid will decrease. The National Bank anticipates that Ukraine will continue to receive significant external financial support, particularly in 2025, but the amount will gradually diminish as the country’s economic...

Piraeus Bank forecasts an increase in the profitability of household and business deposits amid rising key rates in Ukraine.

Piraeus Bank forecasts an increase in the profitability of household and business deposits amid rising key rates in Ukraine. Igor Yakobchuk, Treasury Director at Piraeus Bank, stated to UBN that competition among banks for client liabilities and the NBU’s increase of the discount rate to 14.5% will result in a gradual...

Thursday, January 30

The freezing of US foreign aid: Ukraine will hold consultations on the resumption of assistance.

The freezing of US foreign aid: Ukraine will hold consultations on the resumption of assistance. President Zelenskyy instructed the government to prepare a report on suspended American support programs. “We will determine which of them are critical. We can provide some of the funding with o...

Demand for loans in Ukraine is growing; banks are planning to ease standards for consumer loans and tighten them for mortgages.

Demand for loans in Ukraine is growing; banks are planning to ease standards for consumer loans and tighten them for mortgages. Banks remain optimistic about lending, note an increase in demand for corporate and consumer loans, and predict loan portfolio growth over the next 12 months, according to an NBU survey. According to ...

Russian LNG, aluminum, and the shadow fleet: What is the new EU sanctions package targeting?

Russian LNG, aluminum, and the shadow fleet: What is the new EU sanctions package targeting? The 16th package of EU sanctions targeting Russia will not include a general ban on the import of Russian LNG. Instead, LNG supplies to terminals not connected to the EU’s common gas distributio...

The war’s cost: State debt has surged by 100% in three years, but default was avoided.

The war’s cost: State debt has surged by 100% in three years, but default was avoided. Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s state debt has risen by 156% (+₴4.25T) in hryvnia and by 78% (+$72.7B) in foreign currency, according to Danylo Hetmantsev, chair...

Wednesday, January 29

Analysts have identified the advantages Ukraine would gain from receiving frozen Russian assets in their entirety.

Analysts have identified the advantages Ukraine would gain from receiving frozen Russian assets in their entirety. Confiscating $300B in frozen Russian assets would provide Ukraine with a better opportunity to win the war, the most critical issue for the country today, according to Bill Browder, head of the Britis...

Tuesday, January 28

New opportunities arise to confiscate Russian assets.

New opportunities arise to confiscate Russian assets. A significant portion of the Russian assets that were stored in debt securities in the Belgian Euroclear depository, is now resting in accounts belonging to correspondent banks in cash after the secur...

NBU: Commercial and consumer lending is trending up in Ukraine.

NBU: Commercial and consumer lending is trending up in Ukraine. In 2024, Ukrainian banks saw their net commercial loan portfolios grow by ₴65B (21%) and their consumer loan portfolios increase by ₴62B (39%), said Andriy Pyshnyy, Chairman of the NBU. According to h...

Monday, January 27

What leverage will enable Trump to achieve peace in Ukraine?

What leverage will enable Trump to achieve peace in Ukraine? To force the leaders of Russia and Ukraine to the table and begin serious peace talks, US President Donald Trump needs leverage. Steven Pifer, a former US ambassador to Ukraine, believes that this sho...

The US wants to provide Ukraine with weapons using frozen Russian assets, and Europe will pay for it.

The US wants to provide Ukraine with weapons using frozen Russian assets, and Europe will pay for it. The US President’s Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Keith Kellogg, said that the US is mulling the possibility of purchasing American weapons for Ukraine using frozen Russian assets. “...

Euroclear is wary of the negative consequences of confiscating Russian assets.

Euroclear is wary of the negative consequences of confiscating Russian assets. Confiscating frozen Russian assets could have unintended consequences that would hurt the international financial system, said Valerie Urben, Euroclear CEO, which holds most of Russia’s frozen a...

Friday, January 24

The National Bank of Ukraine has raised the key policy rate to 14.5% per annum.

The National Bank of Ukraine has raised the key policy rate to 14.5% per annum. The NBU increased rates on overnight certificates of deposit, three-month certificates of deposit, and refinancing loans by 1 percentage point – to 14.5%, 17%, and 17.5%, respectively. This decision a...

The National Bank has worsened its 2025 key macro indicator forecasts.

The National Bank has worsened its 2025 key macro indicator forecasts. Considering security risks and the difficult situation in the labor market, the NBU has worsened its forecast for Ukraine’s 2025 GDP growth from 4.3% to 3.6%. At the same time, the bank predicts...

The EU, along with two individual countries, are launching a €14M program to support Ukraine’s European integration.

The EU, along with two individual countries, are launching a €14M program to support Ukraine’s European integration. In the presence of Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, Olga Stefanishyna, the EU, Denmark, and Lithuania reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine̵...

Wednesday, January 22

How much financial support from the EU will Ukraine receive this year and will aid from the US be suspended after Trump’s decree?

How much financial support from the EU will Ukraine receive this year and will aid from the US be suspended after Trump’s decree? In 2025, Ukraine expects to receive more than €30B in budget support from the EU, said Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko. The amount consists of two parts: €18.1B from the framework of using income fr...

Tuesday, January 21

VisionFund Ukraine Starts Lending to Support Small Businesses in Ukraine.

VisionFund Ukraine Starts Lending to Support Small Businesses in Ukraine. Despite the war, international companies slowly continued entering the market, looking for high returns and post-war new market opportunities. VisionFund Ukraine, after two years on the market, receiv...

Monday, January 20

Privatization of profitable enterprises in Ukraine is low-hanging fruit, but not for foreign investors. A chemical factory seized from a Russian oligarch will be put up for auction this year.

Privatization of profitable enterprises in Ukraine is low-hanging fruit, but not for foreign investors. A chemical factory seized from a Russian oligarch will be put up for auction this year. PJSC Vinnytsiapobuthim, a well-known manufacturer of household chemicals and cosmetics, has been transferred to the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPFU) for future sale at auction. This was reported...

A USAID grant helps the largest Ukrainian pet food manufacturer to increase its production capacity by 22%.

A USAID grant helps the largest Ukrainian pet food manufacturer to increase its production capacity by 22%. With support from the USAID Competitive Economy Program in Ukraine, the global, family-owned Kormotech company plans to increase its dry feed production in Ukraine from 45,000 to 55,000 tons per year ...

Friday, January 17

Scholz asked to increase Germany’s national debt threshold to provide €3B in aid to Ukraine.

Scholz asked to increase Germany’s national debt threshold to provide €3B in aid to Ukraine. The ruling Social Democratic Party of Germany, to which Chancellor Scholz belongs, says that a decision on new arms supplies to Ukraine worth €3B could be made before the parliamentary elections in Fe...

Thursday, January 16

Ukraine plans to introduce taxes on income from digital platforms.

Ukraine plans to introduce taxes on income from digital platforms. With the move, the state expects to receive ₴10B annually from Glovo, Bolt, Uklon, and others. In April 2025, the Ukrainian government must submit to parliament a bill on the taxation of digital platf...

Wednesday, January 15

The US is asking Europe to seize $300B in frozen Russian assets to bring Putin to the negotiating table, but Europe opposes it.

The US is asking Europe to seize $300B in frozen Russian assets to bring Putin to the negotiating table, but Europe opposes it. Biden aides have tried to convince his European allies to support the transfer of frozen Russian assets to a new account that will only be released if a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine is r...

Ukrainians have increased their bank savings over the years.

Ukrainians have increased their bank savings over the years. In 2024, hryvnia bank deposits increased by 15.8% (+₴257B) to ₴1.885T, and deposits in foreign currency increased by 4.2% (+$0.8B) to $20.1B, said Danylo Hetmantsev, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Com...

Monday, January 13

Head of Piraeus Bank in Ukraine Has Been Elected Chairman of the FLIFI.

Head of Piraeus Bank in Ukraine Has Been Elected Chairman of the FLIFI. CEO of Piraeus Bank in Ukraine, Yannis Kyriakopoulos, has been elected Chairman of the Forum of Leading International Financial Institutions (FLIFI), which operates under the umbrella of the American ...

Ukraine received $41.7B in external financing last year; the government has voiced its expectations for 2025.

Ukraine received $41.7B in external financing last year; the government has voiced its expectations for 2025. “In total, $115B has been attracted from partners since the beginning of the war,” said Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. The EU, the US, Japan, the IMF, Canada, and the World Bank provided th...

How did Ukraine spend the nearly $42B in international financial assistance it received last year?

How did Ukraine spend the nearly $42B in international financial assistance it received last year? Last year, Ukraine received about $42B in financial support. In addition, the country received more than $3.5B by placing foreign currency government bonds. The money, according to People’s Depu...

Ukraine receives the first tranche of EU funds from frozen Russian assets.

Ukraine receives the first tranche of EU funds from frozen Russian assets. Ukraine received €3B from the EU as part of the ERA initiative, the first tranche of EU funds provided by revenue from frozen Russian assets. Ukraine will direct this to priority budget expenditures. ...

Friday, January 10

War risk insurance with a $50M limit for commercial real estate will be available in Ukraine.

War risk insurance with a $50M limit for commercial real estate will be available in Ukraine. Insurance broker McGill and Partners and Ukrainian insurance company ARX, through the mediation of Ukrainian company FortuneGuard, are launching a commercial property war risk reinsurance program for ...

Ukraine’s national debt reached 92% of GDP.

Ukraine’s national debt reached 92% of GDP. As of the end of 2024, Ukraine’s national debt reached to approximately ₴7T. Forbes analysts calculated that the ratio of national debt to GDP has reached 92%. This is the total national debt, w...

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