Ukraine calendar: What will happen this week
Editor's note: This article is a shortened on-site version of KI Insights' public newsletter, The Week Ahead, covering events from December 15-21. Sign up here to start your week with an agenda of Ukraine-related events delivered directly to your inbox every week.
The European Council meeting on 18-19 December will prove decisive for the fate of the reparations loan backed by frozen Russian assets. The Council must reach a decision that will secure Ukraine's financing for the next two years. Without it, Ukraine risks running out of money by mid-2026.
Negotiations continue over objections from Belgium, whose Euroclear Holding houses approximately €200 billion in frozen Russian assets. The outcome will depend on whether member states can forge a compromise that addresses the majority of Belgium's demands regarding equitable risk distribution. An alternative scenario would involve financing Ukraine through the European Union's own resources.
President Zelensky is expected to visit Berlin on Monday, 15 December, for meetings with European leaders. Scheduled meetings include Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, and Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer. It is not yet clear whether U.S. representatives will be present in Berlin.
The EU Foreign Affairs Council will convene on 15 December. Ministers are expected to coordinate their messaging on the U.S.-backed peace framework and assess whether European positions risk being pushed to the margins. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Andriy Sybiha, is expected to join the discussions via videoconference.
The Council of Europe’s diplomatic conference to adopt an International Claims Commission for Ukraine will take place on 15–16 December. The Commission is expected to become the central legal mechanism for assessing and quantifying the damages resulting from Russia’s aggression. It locks in a legal pathway for victims and the Ukrainian state to claim compensation from Russia, and potentially from frozen Russian state assets
Plenary sessions of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine are scheduled for next week, 16–18 December. Among the key bills is draft law 12377 on the fundamental principles of housing policy, which repeals the outdated Housing Code. This legislation is one of the EU’s requirements under the Ukraine Facility programme and must be adopted by the end of the year.
Also on the agenda are several other important bills: on implementing European Union legislation in the field of renewable energy (14271); on supporting the development of efficient and sustainable district heating (14067); and on improving competitive conditions for the production of electricity from alternative energy sources (13219).
Learn more about the candidates Zelensky is considering and how his decision could be influenced by the progress of peace negotiations in the upcoming Weekly Report by KI Insights.
The Servant of the People party congress will take place on 17 December. The main item on the agenda is the election of a new party leader, as Olena Shuliak has completed her second term in office.
On 16 December, Ukraine marks the historical anniversary of the founding of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN) in 1929. Ukraine marks Military Counterintelligence Day on December 18, followed by Attorneys’ Day on December 19.
Events and Milestones:
Next week:
- 16 December, Online/Offline. Event: Energy Transition in Communities – Project Results Supported by ECF. DiXi Group will share key findings on municipal energy planning and a new guide to financing energy projects. Register here.
- 17 December, Kyiv. Offline event: Ukraine’s Economy in 2026: Key Forecasts and Scenarios. Hosted by the Centre for Economic Strategy (CES) together with the German Economic Team (GET), the event will present expert and government forecasts for Ukraine’s economy, followed by a discussion on how internal and external factors may influence economic dynamics. Register here.
- 18 December, Kyiv. Hybrid event: Labour Market Forum: Ukraine’s Recovery and Competitiveness. The State Employment Service of Ukraine together with the Swiss development organization Helvetas and the Federation of Employers of Ukraine will present the National Labour Market Study 2025–2026. More details here.
Further ahead:
- 4 March 2026, Luxembourg. Offline event: LUCC 4th Ukraine Resilience Business Forum. Held at the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, the Forum brings together public and private sector leaders to discuss investment opportunities, reconstruction, and regulatory alignment on Ukraine’s European path. Register here.
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