Articles :

There are more than enough problems regarding the future of Eurovision-2017 in Ukraine. The major one is a venue for the song contest, or rather, a lack thereof.

The Ukrainian Cabinet published an optimistic outlook for the national economy, the energy companies resumed coal deliveries from the zone of the Anti-Terrorist Operation, while Ukraine is in no hurry to purchase Russian gas – these are the main economic news of the past week.

Ukraine is looking for a place for its aviation industry. Technological and economic challenges have to be met amid complete rupture of relations with Russia, which until recently served as Ukraine’s main market and partner. Will it manage to find new forms of cooperation, new ties, and recognition of new customers?

Ex-Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia (1991-1993), Ambassador Georgiy Kunadze in an interview with UNIAN has told about similarities in the Kremlin's decisions to deploy troops in Afghanistan in 1979 and in Ukraine in 2014, and why the Russian special operations in Crimea and Donbas were in fact failures.

Social Policy Minister Andriy Reva in an interview with UNIAN has told when the Ukrainians should expect a significant increase of social standards, why the retirement age should not be raised today and also how the talks with the IMF are developing.

The Head of State has found a good way to respond to yet another panicking message sprawling in the information space. After the U.S. visit, the prime minister is filled with the spirit of entrepreneurship and looks like the new sweetheart of the businesses. Order in ranks is not a strong feature of Ukraine’s opposition politicians regardless of their experience in this capacity.

Zero PACE deputies voted for giving back the right to the Russian delegation to attend the meetings; 51.9% of UK voters chose Brexit in the referendum; 376 candidates for posts of Ukrainian MPs will take part in mid-term elections to the Verkhovna Rada at seven constituencies.

The subject of the Donbas conflict settlement remains on the agenda of world leaders; moreover, it finds new reflections in Ukraine’s internal politics. The Ukrainian delegation to PACE has faced some unexpected challenges. Ukraine will have to digest Brexit as rationally as possible and learn from its lessons for the sake of its own foreign policy.

The Ukrainian Government has reported about the successful talks with the IMF on a new memorandum; Europe has extended sanctions against Russia; and Brexit supporters have won in a UK referendum – these are the main economic news of the past week.

UNIAN has asked the people who deal with one-third of the world’s money – financial brokers of Wall Street – about the future of Britain following the UK vote to leave the European Union. Unlike many Ukrainian “Facebook experts,” the world’s wealthiest financiers still don’t know what to expect.

Ex-Minister of Finance of Lithuania and former EU Commissioner Algirdas Šemeta, who is now the Ukrainian business ombudsman, explained in an interview with UNIAN, what problems the businesses in Ukraine face, what deters foreign investors and what changes are needed to improve the business environment.

People’s Deputy of Ukraine, member of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense Nadia Savchenko, who was recently released from Russian captivity, shared with UNIAN her view on the prospects for Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration and told us of her impression from taking part in the work of PACE and the Ukrainian Parliament

Ukraine has refused to buy gas at the price offered by Gazprom. Experts believe this position is justified and assure that the country will not freeze in the winter as the necessary volumes of gas will be purchased in Europe, at cheaper prices. But unfortunately, cheaper gas will not reflect in lower tariffs.

World Bank’s Country Director for Ukraine Qimiao Fan is leaving his post due to rotation. In his last interview before leaving, he told UNIAN about the future strategy of the World Bank’s operations in Ukraine and priority steps needed to be taken by the Ukrainian authorities.

The return to Ukraine of Hennadiy Afanasyev and Yuriy Soloshenko hardly resembled the triumphal arrival of Nadia Savchenko. Petro Poroshenko and other top officials once again warned the world about the growing Russian threat. "A big fishing game" of Ukraine’s new prosecutor general Yuriy Lutsenko brings its first catch.

Two Ukrainian citizens wrongfully convicted in Russia – Yuriy Soloshenko and Hennadiy Afanasyev – were returned to Ukraine, 800 Ukrainian enterprises can be engaged in production of ammunition, UAH 217 million was saved at 16,400 tenders conducted over the last month thanks to a Prozorro e-procurement system.

Volodymyr Groysman has made his first overseas visit. Angela Merkel on behalf of not just Germany but of the EU has said when Ukraine and Georgia would receive a visa-free regime. The International Economic Forum in Saint Petersburg carefully orchestrated as a site of Putin’s geopolitical triumph has failed to become such.

Ukrainian authorities have spoken with the Western creditors, received the money needed for reform and announced yet another spike in tariffs for utility services - these are the main economic news of the past week.

Ex-member of the National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission (NEURC) Andriy Herus in an interview with UNIAN has told, what the outcome will be of implementing a "Rotterdam + shipping" pricing formula for Donbas coal, and how much the heat generation, 70% of which is owned by a businessman Rinat Akhmetov, will earn from these changes.

Psychologists say that the Ukrainian combatants, one way or another, suffer from the so-called "ATO syndrome." Therefore, after the demobilization, it is difficult for the troops to come back to civilian life. UNIAN learned about one of the aspects of adaptation – the employment.