Zelensky: 'Only after direct talks between the two presidents can we end this war.'

Based on International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates, the EU expects that if the Russia-Ukraine war ends in 2026, Kyiv will face a financial gap of 135.7 billion euros ($157 billion).

"The discussions will cover the authorities’ economic policy objectives (...) and structural policies to strengthen governance, combat corruption, and enhance growth," Priscilla Toffano, the IMF's representative in Ukraine, said in a press release.

Sternenko's warning comes as Russian troops pierce through Ukrainian defenses on multiple hot spot sectors of the war.

Poland reopened the Kuznica and Bobrowniki crossings with Belarus after they had been closed for years, citing economic reasons and strengthened security along the eastern frontier.

Discounts on Urals relative to Brent reached $23.5 per barrel, the widest gap since June 2023.

Zelensky told TF1-LCI news channel that Ukraine aims to buy 100 Dassault-made Rafale fighters, a 4.5-generation multirole aircraft.

Between 100 and 150 people are to be evacuated from the Plauru village, which lies just across the Danube River from the Ukrainian port city of Izmail, hit by a Russian drone attack overnight.

"Unfortunately, calls about possible victims continue to come in," authorities said.

Ukraine has long highlighted Western and foreign components used in Russian weapons to call for tougher sanctions.

Kremniy, located in east-central Irkutsk Oblast, is the country's largest refined silicon producer with a yearly capacity of 34,000 tons.

"We will catch the perpetrators, whoever they are," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, noting that the route was "crucially important for delivering aid to Ukraine."

Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has joined the advisory board of a Ukrainian defense company known for its Flamingo long-range missiles, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Nov. 17, citing the company's executives.