Politics & Economics

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine met with the President of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde on Thursday in Kyiv. That's according to the president's press service, Ukrinform reports. “We are grateful that you have decided to come to Ukraine even after strikes on our civilian infrastructure and our people. We appreciate such steps. The most important thing is people and public morality. So we are very grateful that there are friends who can support our people at times of war,” he said. [embedded content] Zelensky and Lagarde discussed the use of frozen Russian assets for Ukraine's needs. In addition,…

Deepening trade ties between Ukraine and Europe can strengthen the shared resilience of both parties in a fragmented world, especially since Europe is Ukraine's main trading partner. According to Ukrinform, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde stated this at the ninth Annual Research Conference "Economic and financial integration in a stormy and fragmenting world," organized by the two central banks of Ukraine and Poland. Lagarde traveled to attend the conference at the invitation of the National Bank of Ukraine. She emphasized the importance of historical lessons, recalling that during the Cold War, the Iron Curtain fractured the European economy. As…

On June 18, 2025, Ukraine's State Property Fund sold JSC Construction Company Ukrbud at a privatization auction for UAH 805 million. That is according to the Fund's press service, Ukrinform reports. "Today, an auction for the large-scale privatization of a 100% state-owned share package in JSC Construction Company Ukrbud was held. Five participants competed during the bidding, driving the lot price up from the starting UAH 262,646,000 to the final UAH 805,001,000," the statement reads. The highest bid was made by LLC Petro Oil & Chemicals. According to the YouControl database, the company was registered in 2019 and is primarily…

The pilot project within the framework of cooperation between Ukraine and the United States may involve the development of the Dobra lithium deposit in Ukraine’s Kirovohrad region. This was reported on Telegram by the chief of the Ukrainian President’s Office, Andriy Yermak, Ukrinform saw. "Ukraine is about to announce a tender for the development of the Dobra lithium deposit in Kirovohrad region. This may be the first project within the framework of cooperation with the United States. I am glad to see that the process is underway and the outcome of our meetings in Washington a week ago are being…

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a just transition program for Ukraine's coal regions through 2030, which will cover initiatives in 38 communities linked to coal mining and thermal power generation. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said this during the official launch of the Power4JustTransition program for coal regions and communities, according to an Ukrinform correspondent. "As we move toward EU membership, we are transforming our country and implementing necessary reforms in all sectors. The coal industry is no exception. With the support of the German government, the European Commission, and the World Bank, we are carrying out the transformation…

Canada has significantly expanded its anti-Russian sanctions by imposing restrictions on more than a hundred individuals and entities, as well as announcing trade limitations with Russia. According to a Ukrinform correspondent, this was announced by Canada’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is noted that the new Canadian sanctions will target 77 individuals and 39 legal entities. “Canada is also implementing sanctions on the trade of almost 1,000 new items with Russia, listing an additional 201 vessels and imposing new prohibitions on listed vessels to further constrain the activities of vessels that are part of Russia’s shadow fleet,” the official statement…

Freight railcars carrying grain were damaged during a Russian attack on the night of June 17. That is according to a Facebook post by Oleksandr Pertsovskyi, Chairman of the Management Board of Ukrzaliznytsia JSC, as reported by Ukrinform. “Kyiv, this morning. Ukrainian railroad, Ukrainian grain. The enemy continues to destroy everything Ukrainian,” Pertsovskyi wrote. He also assured the public that restoration work is already underway and that rail traffic would remain uninterrupted. Read also: Health Ministry: 14 killed, 99 injured in Russian attack on Kyiv As previously reported, during the overnight attack on June 17, Russia launched over 440 drones…

In January–April 2025, Ukraine’s exports of goods totaled $13.31 billion—93.1% of the figure recorded during the same period in 2024—reflecting a 6.9% year-on-year decline. That is according to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, as reported by Ukrinform. Imports during the same period reached $24.82 billion, or 112.6% of last year’s level, resulting in a negative trade balance of $11.51 billion. The export-import coverage ratio stood at 0.54, down from 0.65 a year earlier. Ukraine maintained trade relations with 217 countries during the reporting period. Despite the overall decline, the country saw notable export growth in several categories: pharmaceutical products…

Strengthening sanctions against Russia and Austria's readiness for a mediation role were the main topics of the meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky had with Austrian Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker. The head of state reported this on X, Ukrinform saw. "Strengthening sanctions against Russia and Austria’s readiness to act as a mediator were the key topics of my meeting with Federal Chancellor of Austria Christian Stocker. We are grateful to Austria for its support since the very beginning of Russian aggression, for its humanitarian assistance, and above all, for supporting our citizens. We appreciate the mediation in the return of young Ukrainians…