The following is the March 18, 2025 edition of our Ukraine Business Roundup weekly newsletter. To get the biggest news in business and tech from Ukraine directly in your inbox, subscribe here. I’ve always wanted an excuse to talk to this newsletter audience about McDonald’s in Ukraine and
Ukraine’s largest telecom operator, Kyivstar, has signed an agreement to acquire Uklon, a leading ride-hailing and delivery platform in the country, for $155.2 million, Kyistar’s parent company, Veon, announced in a press release on March 19.
Trump also said it was "a great call" and that the U.S. hopes to expand trade with Russia, including deals on "very big forms of rare earth."
Editor’s note: This is issue 18 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly "Ukraine Reforms Tracker" covering events from March 10–16, 2025. The digest highlights steps taken in the Ukrainian parliament related to business, economics, and international financial programs. The Kyiv Independent is republishing with permission. Benchmarks and
Editor’s note: This article is part of a series of profiles highlighting successful Ukrainian startups and businesses. The series is funded by the regional investment fund Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund (UMAEF) and created in partnership with Spend With Ukraine, a non-profit organization that launched a platform to showcase businesses
Kirill Dmitriev, the CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), said he expects Russia to hold talks with U.S. billionaire and President Donald Trump's ally, Elon Musk, in the near future, the pro-state news agency RBK reported on March 18.
Gazprom's losses averaged $251 million per week, $35 million per day, or $1.4 million per hour. While the company's total revenue increased by 11% and its gas revenue by 14%, it still ended the year with a sales loss of 192 billion rubles ($2.3 billion).
Negotiations will focus on establishing the legal and financial framework to seize Russian assets, despite opposition from some EU member states, particularly Belgium and Germany.
With this disbursement, Ukraine will have received nearly 20 billion euros ($21,7 billion) under the Ukraine Facility since the program was launched in early 2024.
Western sanctions against Russia could be eventually eased if the step ensures security and justice for Ukraine, top Ukrainian sanctions official Vladyslav Vlasiuk told Politico in an interview published on March 17.
If there is a positive outcome regarding the end of the war, Lviv's international airport could resume flights as early as April or May this year.
The Trump administration dealt a blow to Russia's energy sector last week after it let lapse an exemption allowing Russian banks to use U.S. payment systems for energy transactions. The move closed an important financial channel for Russian oil and gas exports and comes as Washington looks for ways
Sources suggest that Russia will likely continue using digital currencies in energy trade even if Western sanctions are lifted.
"They are taking a break for now while contemplating if there are ways to work around," a source told Reuters.
The war in Ukraine is not just a fight for national sovereignty — it’s a battle at the crossroads of a collapsing global order. While Ukrainians heroically resist Russia’s brutal invasion, the war has exposed the fractures of an economic system that has, for decades, concentrated wealth, power, and
The announcement from McDonald's Ukraine comes as more Western companies expand offerings to Ukrainian customers amid the full-scale war, with some companies choosing to reopen storefronts across the country.
Fears of a Starlink shut-off at the front line have racked Ukraine. European satellite internet firms took the opportunity to step forward as replacements — but even collectively, they are unlikely to fill the void in coverage that Starlink's shut off would leave. Today, Starlink satellite internet service dominates both worldwide
Ukraine has received the first tranche of 2.5 billion Canadian dollars (about $1.7 billion) from Ottawa under the G7's Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) initiative.
Russian diesel exports to African countries nearly halved in February, dropping from 1.27 million tons in January to 684,000 tons, according to a report by the Center for Price Indices (CPI) reviewed by RBC.
Moscow's restrictions allow Russian authorities to seize and keep hard-to-get Western-sanctioned goods, which can then be used to manufacture weapons for the war against Ukraine.
The following is the March 11, 2025 edition of our Ukraine Business Roundup weekly newsletter. To get the biggest news in business and tech from Ukraine directly in your inbox, subscribe here. For all the hype around foreign weapons producers setting up shop in Ukraine to help it fend off
Editor’s note: This is issue 17 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly "Ukraine Reforms Tracker" covering events from March 3–9, 2025. The digest highlights steps taken in the Ukrainian parliament related to business, economics, and international financial programs. The Kyiv Independent is republishing with permission. Benchmarks and
As of January, Raiffeisen Capital held around 31.7 billion rubles ($365 million) in sanctioned entities, such as the Sberbank bank or the state-owned energy giant Gazprom, the report said, citing financial documents.
The move follows U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to impose 25% tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, reigniting trade tensions between Washington and Brussels.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that any final resolution to the war would have to involve European leaders "because of their sanctions that they've imposed."
The claims stem from Gazprom's decision to drastically reduce gas deliveries to Europe in 2022 after Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded that payments be made in rubles.
The amount of traffic coming from Ukraine was "insignificant," an industry source told Reuters, disputing Musk's account.
Easing the price ceiling on Russian oil is allegedly one option under consideration, Bloomberg reported.
Chinese car exports to Russia surged sevenfold in 2023 compared to 2022, as Western sanctions over Moscow’s war against Ukraine cut Russia off from brands like Volkswagen, Toyota, and BMW.
The total cost of the procurement exceeds Hr 110 billion ($2.6 billion), with Hr 102 billion ($2.4 billion) allocated through the Defense Procurement Agency.
Ukraine's main gas production facilities are in front-line regions like Kharkiv and Poltava, making them vulnerable to Russian attacks. Strikes on gas infrastructure have repeatedly reduced production, at times by 40%.
"Partnering with Orlen strengthens energy security, diversifies supply routes, and accelerates Ukraine's integration into the European gas market," said Roman Chumak, CEO of Naftogaz.
The Kyiv Independent’s Business Desk covers the biggest news in business, economics, and tech from Ukraine, as well as global developments that shape the economy of the region.
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