Articles :

A famous Russian businessman Dmitry Potapenko, who regularly criticizes the Kremlin's economic policies, told UNIAN how the "perfect storm" of the global crisis is killing the Russian economy, why are Russian authorities turning the country into a digital GULAG, how easy is it for the Kremlin to suppress any protest movement, and under what conditions could power change in Russia.

The Cabinet of Ministers decided to extend the national quarantine until May 11 and dismissed heads of customs and tax agencies, while the National Bank brought its key rate to a five-year low – these are the major economic developments of the past week.

The Verkhovna Rada has passed "anti-crisis" changes to the state budget, almost tripling its deficit, the Cabinet vowed loans to small businesses at zero rate, while the World Bank announced $135 million aid to modernize health care and tackle the novel coronavirus – these are key economic developments of the outgoing week.

At an extraordinary session, the Verkhovna Rada conducted a sequestration of the state budget, almost tripling its deficit to 7.5% of GDP at the Cabinet's suggestion. Under quarantine, deputies significantly reduced revenues, but at the same time raised spending on the fight against the coronavirus spread. However, there is no certainty that even such an updated budget will not undergo further changes.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has dispelled hopes for an early completion of quarantine and announced a restart of the economy, which government forecasts say could drop 5% this year due to rising inflation and unemployment, while a special application has been launched to monitor the observance of self-isolation rules by Ukrainians – these are the key economic developments of the outgoing week.

Singapore Professor Yik Ying Teo: If you are caught breaking the law on quarantine, there is the risk of prosecution. It is either a very hefty fine or a jail term. So the public has been very obedient to follow the necessary rules.

The Rada has passed a historic law on the launch of the land market from July 2021 and replaced the head of the Ministry of Finance, while the Cabinet of Ministers promised to consider the possibility of easing quarantine to support the economy – these are the key economic news of the past week.

The Verkhovna Rada on Monday appointed a new head of the Ministry of Finance, a young economist with experience in government work Serhiy Marchenko. UNIAN learned the reasons why his predecessor Ihor Umansky, who had worked in office for only three weeks, was fired, as well as new tasks facing the new minister of a country in quarantine.

The Verkhovna Rada has passed a bill, submitted by government, on additional social and economic guarantees in connection with the coronavirus epidemic. Businesses assure that the measures being taken are not enough to get the country out of the crisis. UNIAN learned about the ways the Cabinet is going to help the Ukrainians, and things to which they turned a blind eye.

The coronavirus pandemic posed a difficult task for the country's food system: to provide Ukrainians with essentials amid quarantine and austerity. UNIAN learned whether the agricultural sector will have a sufficient safety cushion to pass this test, and how much food prices will rise.

At the time of a global pandemic, wars always tend to subside as adversaries stop shooting, but not this time. Covid-19 is changing the planet, changing our habits, but armed men on the other side of the contact line in Donbas never changed their plans – at least with regard to Ukraine.

To reduce the pace of coronavirus spread, the government introduced an emergency situation regime, extended the national quarantine for three weeks, and supported subsidies for vulnerable citizens; the banks received more cash currency, and the hryvnia slightly strengthened after several weeks of decline; while the decline in industrial output slowed down – these are the main economic developments of the outgoing week.

Food prices have risen sharply in Ukraine, while sellers justify their moves with tough quarantine measures and the sliding hryvnia. Experts say the reasons are completely different. UNIAN has tried to figure out what's really happening and whether prices will return to their previous positions.

The United States is so far ranking world's third in terms of the number of Covid-19 cases. Over the past weekend alone, the number of confirmed cases doubled and exceeded 40,000. One of the hardest-hit states, California, has been put on lockdown four days ago. UNIAN spoke with Ukrainians living in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego about how Californians comply with restrictive measures.

Scientific Director of the Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases, Professor Giuseppe Ippolito has told Lithuania's daily Lietuvos Rytas in an interview what are the causes of the high death rates from the coronavirus in Italy, whether it is possible to get infected repeatedly and when the COVID-19 vaccine becomes available.

The Dutch court held the first two hearings in the MH17 case and adjourned until March 23. Meanwhile, the Kremlin leaders have never been so close to the dock.

Ukrainian authorities announced the introduction of a nationwide quarantine, adding anxiety to the fever of the forex market; the National Bank lowered the key rate to a five-year low; while the Cabinet liquidated the urban construction regulator and launched a reform in the field – these are the main economic developments of the outgoing week.

The coronavirus epidemic spreading around the planet has reached Ukraine, Parliament has dismissed the Cabinet of Oleksiy Honcharuk, appointing Denys Shmyhal new prime minister, while Ukravtodor signed an agreement with the Turkish company Onur to build a bridge across the Dnipro River in Zaporizhia for UAH 12 billion – these are the main economic developments of the outgoing week.

The Verkhovna Rada at an extraordinary meeting on March 4, initiated by President Volodymyr Zelensky, dismissed Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk and approved the new Cabinet composition. UNIAN tried to figure out what Ukrainians should expect from the new government.

Six years ago, not all Ukrainian military men left the annexed Crimea. Some of the servicemen, either in pursuit of high salaries and pensions, or because of support for the Kremlin’s imperial ideas, chose to side with the enemy. UNIAN found out what happened to those who then changed the oath.