Politics

Zelensky picks Military Intelligence Head Budanov as his new chief of staff
Politics

Zelensky picks Military Intelligence Head Budanov as his new chief of staff

by Kateryna Denisova

President Volodymyr Zelensky has appointed Kyrylo Budanov, the military intelligence chief, to take charge of the President's Office on Jan. 2. "Now, Ukraine needs more focus on security issues, the development of the Defense and Security Forces of Ukraine, as well as on the diplomatic track in negotiations, and the President's Office will serve primarily to fulfill such tasks," Zelensky said. Budanov accepted the offer. "For me, it is an honor and a responsibility to focus on critically impo

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Chart of the week: Lending boom suggests war is new normal for Ukrainians

Ukrainians continued a borrowing spree in 2025, suggesting that households and companies are settling into a new normal as the country approaches the fifth year of Russia's full-scale invasion. While new loans plummeted in the first few years of the full-scale invasion, borrowing started to pick up in 2024. By last year, the total value of loans taken out by Ukrainian households and companies was 50% and 27% higher than in 2023, respectively, according to data from Ukrainian think tank Center f

Lending in Ukraine is booming.
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