Deputy Foreign Minister Yevhen Perebyinis issued a letter to cabinet ministers on Oct. 23 warning that the European Union has notified Ukraine that the next tranche of 4 billion euros ($4.3 billion) from the EU's Ukraine Facility may be delayed until next year unless expected aspects of corruption reforms are completed by the end of this month.
Moldovans headed to the polls on Oct. 20 to elect their next head of state and vote on the future of the country’s European Union integration. With over 99% of the votes counted on Monday, the “yes” vote edged ahead at 50.43%, while the “no” camp, which had
Moldova's referendum on joining the EU, which took place alongside elections in the country, occurred under "unprecedented interference" by Russia and its proxies, European Commission spokesperson Peter Stano said.
"The people of Moldova have spoken: our EU future will now be anchored in the constitution," Sandu said on X. "We fought fairly in an unfair fight—and we won. But the fight isn’t over. We will keep pushing for peace, prosperity, and the freedom to build our own future."
Defense ministers of the G7 countries reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine's integration into NATO, according to the joint statement following their meeting in Naples on Oct. 19.
Editor’s note: This is issue 77 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak’s weekly “Ukrainian Economy in Brief” newsletter, covering events from Oct. 7- Oct. 13, 2024. The digest highlights steps taken in the Ukrainian parliament related to business, economics, and international financial programs. The Kyiv Independent is republishing with
The European Council reiterated it would adhere to the "security and defense policy" of "certain member states" regarding the use of revenues generated from the frozen assets, and added it would continue to "address all relevant legal and financial aspects."
"What (Zelensky) outlined yesterday in the Ukrainian parliament is more than terrifying," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban wrote, urging EU leaders to start talks with Moscow "as soon as possible."
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 17 that the victory plan includes placing conventional missile capabilities in Ukraine that would either force Russia to accept negotiations or destroy its military targets.
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Brussels on Oct. 17 to present his five-point victory plan to the European Council and meet its president, Charles Michel.
On Oct. 14, Josep Borrell confirmed plans to extend the EUMAM mandate for another two years, pending approval from the EU Council.
The EU's sanctions list newly includes individuals and entities responsible for the development and transfer of drones and missiles to Russia.
Polish President Andrzej Duda announced that a key priority of Poland's EU presidency in early 2025 will be the European integration of Ukraine and maintaining an "open door to Europe" policy for new members.
A proposed reform of the European Peace Facility (EPF) would make financial contributions voluntary, aiming to bypass Hungary's veto on military aid to Ukraine, which has caused a 6.5 billion euro ($7 billion) backlog.
Ukraine is set to face its toughest winter since the start of the full-scale invasion as Russia eyes cutting off its nuclear power after already bombing out capacity from half of its electricity generation sector in large-scale air strikes. For now, Russia is not directly striking the plants with missiles
Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance might consider himself a genius for proposing “neutrality” for Ukraine as the centerpiece of his plan to end Russia’s war. For Vance, this appears to be a true eureka moment. Unfortunately, the concept of neutral status for Ukraine is not new. Vance
"I would have been pleased to debate the presidential program but I see you’re not interested," Viktor Orban said.
The talks will focus on achieving peace, Ukraine’s path to NATO and the EU, as well as the reconstruction of Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Oct. 9.
"We believe that this issue, the prolongation of the Russian sanctions, should be decided after the U.S. elections. We have to see in which direction the future U.S. administration is going with this issue," Hungarian Finance Minister Mihaly Varga said.
According to Bloomberg, the EU's sanctions would target "about a dozen individuals and entities," which includes firms involved in the engineering, metals, and aviation sectors.
Ukraine will have the second-strongest military in NATO on the European continent once it joins the alliance, Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze said on Oct. 1.
Austrians went to the polls on Sept. 29, handing victory to the far-right, anti-migration Freedom Party (FPO). The party gained 29% of the vote, its best result to date. Founded in 1956 by Anton Reinthaller, a former Nazi SS officer, the party has long been climbing into the country's mainstream,
Austria’s far-right Freedom Party came first in a general election on Sept. 29, according to voter projections. The party is known for its Kremlin-friendly stance and opposition to aid for Ukraine in its fight against Russia. The Freedom Party of Austria, or FPO, which is led by Herbert Kickl,
Ukraine has launched uResidency, a program enabling foreigners to start a business in the country remotely, Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced on Sept. 27 at the Lviv IT Arena, according to a Kyiv Independent journalist reporting from the event. The program offers foreign entrepreneurs favorable conditions for conducting business,
More than 30 countries and the European Union adopted the Joint Declaration of Support for Recovery and Reconstruction of Ukraine during a meeting in New York on Sept. 25, Ukraine's Presidential Office said. Backed during the Group of Seven (G7) + Ukraine meeting, the document contains several points including helping to
Returning from their summer recess, European Union leaders have a packed agenda. At the top of the list are strengthening the bloc’s readiness for conflict and bolstering its economic competitiveness. For decades, the EU relied on economic influence as a substitute for hard power. But in an era of
"Relentless Russian attacks means Ukraine needs continued EU support," the chief of the EU's executive arm said during her visit to Kyiv.
According to the IEA report, Ukraine's electricity shortage could reach 6 GW this winter, which is about one-third of the expected peak demand.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv on Sept. 20 to discuss Ukraine's energy needs ahead of the coming winter.
"All options are on the table" if Georgia does not reverse its trend toward authoritarianism, "including the potential temporary suspension of the visa liberalization scheme," a spokesperson for the European Commission told Politico.
According to the document seen by AFP — a letter to the parliamentary budget committee — additional funds are needed to "fulfill the German government's support commitments to the Ukrainian armed forces."
"When the import of a certain type of product or commodity — vegetables, meat, eggs — reaches certain limits that the European Commission has outlined in advance, then we can activate the mechanism of banning their import. We are currently doing this in terms of eggs," Bulgarian Agriculture Minister Georgi Takhov said.
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