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Editor's note: This article is an on-site version of KI Insights' public newsletter, The Week Ahead, covering events from June 16-22. Sign up here to start your week with an agenda of Ukraine-related events delivered directly to your inbox every week.
In response to reader feedback, The Week Ahead by KI Insights will now be published every Friday instead of Sunday.
The coming weeks will be significant for Ukraine in terms of high-level international gatherings, starting with the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada (June 15–17), followed by the NATO Summit in The Hague (June 24–25). President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend both events. Ukraine expects Zelensky to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump during the G7 summit. While no major breakthroughs in support for Ukraine are anticipated, discussions are expected to focus on tightening sanctions against Russia. Final joint statements and implementation roadmaps are expected later in the week.
As the EU debates its 18th sanctions package against Russia, the prospects for tightening the oil price cap, including a proposed reduction from $60 to $45 per barrel, remain uncertain. Much will depend on developments in the Middle East. Since the onset of Israeli airstrikes on Iran, global oil prices have risen by 7.5%, potentially weakening the G7 and EU’s ability to enforce a lower cap and limit Russian energy revenues.
The Ukrainian Cabinet is expected to submit a structural customs reform plan by June 17, as agreed with the IMF. The reform will include personnel, infrastructure, and technological changes. However, implementation is delayed due to a lack of funding. Negotiations on financing are ongoing with U.S. and EU partners. The IMF has allowed the reform benchmark to be pushed to the end of the year until funding is secured. Meanwhile, MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak has submitted a draft resolution calling for the dismissal of Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko, citing the stalled customs reform.
Russia is once again attempting to mask its international isolation by hosting the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (June 18-21). Once dubbed the “Russian Davos,” the forum has lost support from the West but continues to attract representatives from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. This year’s agenda includes a discussion panel on Russia-U.S. business relations, set to be moderated by Robert Agee, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia.
In Kyiv, the Verkhovna Rada will reconvene for a plenary session to consider several priority draft laws:
- 12374-d – Draft Law on Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine to Strengthen the Institutional Capacity of the National Agency of Ukraine for Finding, Tracing, and Managing Assets Derived from Corruption and Other Crimes, and to Improve Asset Management Mechanisms (second reading)
- 11469 – Draft Law on Amendments to Certain Laws of Ukraine Regarding the Realization of the Right to Acquire and Retain Ukrainian Citizenship (second reading)
- 8082 – Draft Law on Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On Road Traffic" Regarding Legislative Implementation (first reading)
- 13302 – Draft Law on the Establishment of a Specialized District Administrative Court and a Specialized Administrative Court of Appeal (second reading)
- 12377 – Draft Law on the Fundamental Principles of Housing Policy (first reading)
Next week marks the birthdays of several high-profile political figures. Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine’s former Minister of Defence, will turn 59 on Wednesday, June 18. Xi Jinping, President of China, celebrates his 72nd birthday on June 15. And Boris Johnson, former UK Prime Minister, turns 61 on June 19.
Events and Milestones:
Next week:
- 16 June, 15:00 CEST. Online Event “Can the EU Afford to Exclude Ukraine?” Organized by Visegrad Insight, this 60-minute discussion will explore the economic and political consequences of Ukraine’s potential exclusion from the EU. Register here.
- 17 June, 18:00-19:30 EEST. “Russia's summer offensive: The view from the front” online briefing by KI Insights. Event details here. Sign up here.
- 18 June at 10:30 EEST, “NV Dialogues for the Future: The Great Digital Transformation” will take place in Kyiv (Ukrainian language). The event will bring together business leaders, government officials, and tech experts to discuss Ukraine’s digital future, AI, cybersecurity, and innovation-driven economic growth. Register here.
- 19 June, 08:00–19:00 BST. The 2025 London Conference will take place at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel and online. Hosted by Chatham House, this 10th edition of the flagship event will convene global leaders from policy, business, and academia to explore how international governance can adapt in a world of fragmentation and shifting power. Read more here.
- 19 June, 09:30–17:30 EEST. III Conference “Business vs Sanctions” will take place in Kyiv at the Premier Palace Hotel (hybrid format, Ukrainian language). Organized by Yurydychna Praktyka, the event will bring together legal experts, policymakers, and business leaders to discuss the evolution of Ukraine’s sanctions enforcement, and asset recovery mechanisms. Read more here.
- 19–20 June, Kyiv. Hybrid format. The IX Annual Research Conference, “Economic and Financial Integration in a Stormy and Fragmenting World”, hosted by the central banks of Ukraine and Poland, will explore central banking amid geopolitical turbulence. Speakers include ECB President Christine Lagarde (online) and Harvard’s Kenneth Rogoff. Register here.
Further ahead:
- 02 July, 4th Ukrainian Banking Day in London, The event, officially supported by the Embassy of Ukraine in the UK and the Independent Association of Banks of Ukraine, discusses key issues as the outlook for the state-owned banks and the state’s presence in the sector. Register here.
- 10–11 July 2025, Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2025) will take place in Rome (English language), gathering governments, businesses, and financial institutions to discuss Ukraine’s reconstruction, private sector investment, social recovery, and European integration. More details here.
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