Politics & Economics

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced plans to expand government programs supporting Ukrainian businesses and domestic production, along with strengthening the State-Business Council. As reported by a Ukrinform correspondent, Zelensky made the statement during the “Government and Business Forum: From Dialogue to Partnership” held in Kyiv. “We understand that it’s economic growth that should fill the budget — not pressure or squeezing money out of the economy. Good decisions require good teams that generate and implement ideas. That’s why we need dialogue between the state and all social forces, including entrepreneurs. We’re working through the State-Business Council format and will continue to…

Sanctions targeting Russia’s military-industrial complex are not solely about supporting Ukraine — they are essential for protecting EU and NATO member states themselves, as Moscow is preparing to expand its aggression further into Europe. This was stated by Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha during the Fair Play conference on expanding sanctions against Russia, a Ukrinform correspondent reports. “Today, sanctions against Russia are not just about helping Ukraine. These sanctions are primarily needed by EU and NATO countries themselves to stop the Russian war machine. There is no doubt that Russian killers plan to extend their aggression to other…

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has instructed officials to prepare a decision introducing a long-term moratorium on business inspections across the country. As reported by a Ukrinform correspondent, the President made this announcement during the "Government and Business Forum: From Dialogue to Partnership" held in Kyiv. “I have already instructed preparations for a decision on a long-term moratorium on business inspections — to protect businesses from any pressure by unscrupulous individuals in various positions,” Zelensky stated. He emphasized that Ukraine has strong economic potential, but it needs clear regulatory frameworks to unleash that strength. “Ukraine can be much stronger economically.…

Keeping the United States within NATO was made possible through a unanimous commitment to increased defense spending — and by flattering President Trump. This view was shared in a comment with Ukrinform by Patrick Bolder, a strategic advisor and defense and security expert at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS), a retired lieutenant colonel of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. “Being now eight months the Secretary General, as falling apart of NATO has probably been his main concern, and falling apart – through Trump's unilateral actions – has indeed been a risk. So, keeping Trump on board was Rutter's…

Russian forces have attacked a critical energy facility in Kherson region, the residents are being urged to prepare for a prolonged power outage. According to Ukrinform, Head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration Oleksandr Prokudin reported the incident on Telegram. “On the eve of Constitution Day, the Russians decided to plunge Kherson region into darkness by attacking a vital energy facility,” the statement reads. As noted, the attack has caused electricity supply issues in several settlements. Residents of the region are being asked to prepare for an extended lack of electricity. Energy workers are doing everything possible to stabilize the…

President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced that Ukraine will synchronize its sanctions against Russia with those of international partners, following a decision by the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC). As reported by Ukrinform, Zelensky said this in a post on his Facebook page. “We are fully mobilizing sanctions pressure on Russia to bring the war to an end and achieve real peace,” Zelensky stressed. He emphasized the need to implement sanctions packages adopted by Ukraine’s partners within national jurisdiction, while also ensuring that Ukraine’s own sanctions decisions are enforced across key global jurisdictions. “Sanctions must be synchronized,” he stated. Read…

Xhabir Deralla is a Macedonian civic activist, journalist, and co-founder of the influential non-governmental organization CIVIL Today – Center for Freedom, based in Skopje, as well as Defending Democracy Global Initiative (it’s an initiative functioning through its founders, based in Berlin, London, Rome and Skopje). For many years, he has been actively engaged in the fields of media, human rights, peacebuilding, and democratic development. Under his leadership, CIVIL Today is known for its initiatives aimed at promoting peace, fostering interethnic understanding, combating disinformation, and supporting democratic processes in North Macedonia and beyond. Since 2022, Xhabir Deralla has been an outspoken…

From the very beginning, Ukraine has demonstrated consistent support for achieving peace, including for a full ceasefire. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov noted this at a briefing on Friday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "Ukraine has always remained consistent in its pursuit of peace. We supported the U.S. initiative for a full ceasefire from the very beginning and proved this with many rounds of negotiations. But any dialogue is possible only without ultimatums and with respect for the sovereignty of our state," Umerov said. According to the defense chief, no compromise on a ceasefire was reached during the last two meetings…

The High Anti-Corruption Court receoved a motion to apply UAH 120 million bail to the Deputy Prime Minister, who had previously held the position of Minister of Community and Territorial Development, and to remove him from office. NABU reported this on Facebook, Ukrinform saw. "The National Anti-corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-corruption Prosecutor’s Office have filed a motion with the High Anti-Corruption Court to apply a preventive measure in the form of a UAH 120 million bail to the current Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, who previously held the position of Minister of Development of Communities and Territories. NABU and…

European security is interlinked with the security of Ukraine, which is why the EU consistently supports achieving a just and lasting peace and is assisting Ukraine on its path to EU membership. This was stated by President of the European Council António Costa during a press conference early Friday morning following the European Council summit, a Ukrinform correspondent reports. “European security is interlinked with Ukraine’s security. This is why we continue to push for a just and lasting peace, while paving their way for EU membership. On this, our objective remains firm and unchanged. The Commission’s assessment is clear: despite…