Politics & Economics

On Monday, December 23, Switzerland decided to align itself with the European Union’s 15th sanctions package against Russia and restrictive measures against Belarus. This was announced on the Swiss government’s official website, as reported by Ukrinform. The decision will take effect on December 24. The sanctions target 54 individuals, including members of the military, senior executives in companies in the energy sector, and individuals responsible for the deportation of children or the dissemination of propaganda and disinformation. These individuals are now subject to a ban on entering and transiting Switzerland. Also, 30 companies and organizations have been sanctioned, which are…

Mortgage lending under the eOselia [eHousing] programme has slowed down, while the number of mortgage loans outside the programme remains minimal. The relevant statement was made by the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) in its financial stability report for December 2024, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. “Over 11 months of 2024, the number of mortgage loans provided has been over 1.5 times higher than during the entire previous year. But, in the second half of 2024, the number of loans provided by financial institutions per month is a third lower on average compared to March-April, when the lending volumes were record…

President Volodymyr Zelensky has instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to establish contacts with the new Syrian government. According to Ukrinform, he said this in an evening video address. [embedded content] Video: OP “I have instructed our Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work more actively to establish all necessary contacts with representatives of the people of Syria and to correct Assad's mistakes regarding Ukraine and the whole of Europe,” Zelensky said. He also added that Ukraine would support Syria's food security. “This is our moral advantage - Ukraine helps many countries to ensure normalcy of life, in particular through food…

In Belarus, before the so-called “presidential elections,” repressions by the regime of Alexander Lukashenko will intensify, including against foreign citizens. This opinion was expressed to Ukrinform by Volodymyr Holovko, head of the Center for Political Analysis, PhD in History, leading researcher at the Institute of History of Ukraine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, commenting on the recent recommendation of the US State Department for American citizens to “immediately leave” Belarus. In particular, the State Department warns of the risks of detentions and civil unrest in the republic. “The statement of the US State Department is primarily related…

The ambassadors of China, Saudi Arabia, and Serbia have launched their diplomatic missions in Ukraine. That’s according to the official Telegram channel of President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrinform reports. "Letters of credence. Today, the new ambassadors of China, Saudi Arabia and Serbia begin their diplomatic missions in Ukraine. Zelensky congratulated the ambassadors on the start of their diplomatic work in the country and talked with each of them, according to the report. Read also: Zelensky approves appointment of new Ukrainian ambassadors [embedded content] “We hope for increased cooperation between our countries," the post says. As reported, decrees on the appointment of…

Ukraine’s energy grid operator has canceled emergency electricity shutdown restrictions, introduced in three regions earlier today. This was reported by NPC Ukrenergo on Facebook, Ukrinform saw. “Emergency power outages have been canceled. Measures to limit consumption are no longer applied in any region,” the company reported, warning of the need to consume electricity responsibly. Read also: Zelensky: Fico wants to help Putin make money to fund war As Ukrinform reported earlier, on Monday, December 23, emergency power outages were introduced in Kyiv and three Ukrainian regions.

Self-proclaimed President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus seeks to establish cooperation with Oman and the UAE in order to weaken the impact of sanctions on Belarusian economy and reduce dependence on Russian and Chinese funding. This opinion was expressed in a comment to Ukrinform by the Director of the Russian and Belarusian Studies Program at the Ukrainian Prism Foreign Policy Council Yaroslav Chornohor. He noted that all of Lukashenko’s moves are aimed at finding ways for Belarus to survive economically and politically under European and American sanctions. And since “no one in Europe, except perhaps Hungary”, wants to deal with the…

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expressed surprise at the persistent attempts by the head of the Slovak government, Robert Fico, to maintain energy dependence on Moscow, contrary to EU policy and joint work of European countries on the diversification of energy supplies. That’s according to the statement released by Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry regarding Fico's talks held in Moscow, Ukrinform reports. "The weakness, dependence and short-sightedness of the energy policy of the Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico pose threats to the whole of Europe," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized. The ministry said Russia had been using energy…

The Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security pursues efforts to provide a brief explanation to foreign audiences on the current topics of particular interest as regards Ukraine. VISIT OF SLOVAKIA’S PRIME MINISTER TO MOSCOW On December 22, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico met with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. ● This marked the first visit of a Slovak leader to Moscow since tо beginning of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine. ● Besides Fico, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán have also visited Moscow during the war. ● Such visits by European leaders undermine the security of…