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Ukraine has put forward new conditions for the transit of Russian natural gas, in line with the European and national legislation. Gazprom considers them unacceptable and could trigger another scandal. This will lead the parties to arbitration, which is likely to decide in favor of Ukraine.

The resignation of one of the Ukrainian government's most important actors – Minister of Economic Development and Trade Aivaras Abromavicius – is a hard blow to the international image of Ukraine.

Andrej Plenković, Chairman of the Parliamentary Association Committee EU – Ukraine, sat with UNIAN to talk about the problems and prospects of cooperation with Ukraine in 2016 as well as about the fulfillment of existing obligations by the Ukrainian authorities and the prospects for a visa-free regime for Ukrainians.  

Ukraine's political elite seems to have totally floated away from reality. Putting the word “reform” on an indefinite loop, which has long become annoying, the authorities stepped on a quicksand of “reformatting” the Coalition and the Cabinet.

Despite the second year of the Russian aggression, Ukraine managed to attract $3 billion in foreign investment in 2015. However, economic growth requires much more substantial funds, which the country will try to get in 2016.

After returning to a plenary mode, the parliamentary coalition has been seeking intensively the ways to reformat the government. The prime minister has publically expressed hope to retain his post.

The increased opposition between the Rada and the Cabinet, the scam with Kyoto funding, worsening forecasts of Ukraine’s  economic growth, waiting for the assistance from creditors, and further fall of the hryvnia - these are the main economic news of the past week.

0% of the population controlled by Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Lugansk regions would like to live in the so-called "LPR" and "DPR," five fugitive Ukrainian ex-officials got their claims satisfied in court in the EU regarding the freeze of their assets, 177 deputies, including those who are in fact millionaires received compensation from the budget for accommodation in the capital city of Kyiv.

Russian officials showed some extraordinary cynicism toward Ukraine at the international level. Boris Gryzlov tried unsuccessfully to impose new rules of the game during the Minsk talks. PACE had a rather productive session without the Russian delegation. Poland heard a number of unexpected political statements.

The advice to look out for the Israel’s experience has been the most prominent one since the start of hostilities in eastern Ukraine. However, despite somewhat similar relations with its own neighbors, Israel is in no rush to support Ukraine.

Ukrainian banks incurred record losses last year. While promising to bring as many problems to the bankers, the year of 2016 should also signal the healing of the system. Are the banks and the state regulator ready to tackle the challenges they are facing?

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius has told UNIAN about the prospects of Ukraine getting a visa-free regime this summer, and carrying out necessary reforms amid Russian aggression.

Construction of Nord Stream-2 may kill the Ukrainian transit route for the Russian gas. Only the European Union can disrupt the Kremlin’s evil plans, but Europe is divided into supporters and opponents of a new pipeline under the Baltic Sea.

The Ukrainian government intends to "hurry slowly" in the issue of constitutional amendments, especially those involving peculiarities of local government in Donbas. The number of fighters against corruption is growing constantly. The end of the MPs’ protracted vacation was marked with the newly emerged personnel issues in the ruling Coalition. Vitaly Klitschko has become chairman of the Association of Ukrainian Cities.

An oil tanker arrived in Europe from the United States for the first time in 40 years, 15 UN member states were deprived of the right to vote at meetings of the General Assembly for non-payment of membership fees, flu killed 60 people across Ukraine.

Ukraine in February, will receive $1.7 billion from the IMF, the Antimonopoly Committee fined Russia’s Gazprom a record $3.4 billion, the experts analyze the reasons for the fall of the hryvnia, and the prime minister spoke again on the fight against corruption - these are the main economic news of the past week.

The World Economic Forum in Davos was a perfect opportunity for the Ukrainian authorities to compare notes with the world's elite. The European Union approved the ongoing reforms in Ukraine, although hinting that they mustn’t be halted. The Tripartite Liaison Group in Minsk seems to be stuck. Moldova is challenged with a severe political crisis.

Putin's Russia has dropped the Iron Curtain over the eastern border of Ukraine the Iron Curtain, not only banning deliveries of Ukrainian products to its market but also their transit to other countries. Kyiv hopes to enlist the support of the West in the fight against yet another act of a the Kremlin’s hybrid war.

Almost half a million people have fled the annexed Crimea and the occupied Donbas for the government-controlled territory of Ukraine over less than a two-year period. But there are those who are unable to do so due to objective reasons – they were serving prison terms or were arrested awaiting trial at the moment the war broke out.

In 2016, Ukraine will continue to look for mechanisms of de-occupation of the Russian-annexed Crimea. UNIAN has asked the experts, how realistic can be the Geneva Plus format of negotiations recently proposed by President Poroshenko.