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German Chancellor Angela Merkel forced Russian TV to censor her during a joint press conference with Vladimir Putin. John Kerry visited Sochi and Antalya, causing a public stir in Ukraine. And Ukrainian diplomats emit skepticism instead unwise optimism ahead of the Eastern Partnership summit.

Despite some cooling down of military actions in eastern Ukraine, fears of future renewed large-scale fighting have been circulating all over the country’s information space. UNIAN tried to figure out how realistic these fears are.

War eventually recedes into history, but memories of it remain at a subconscious level. Especially childhood memories. UNIAN has gathered expert opinions on how to rehabilitate Ukrainian children that have already seen enough war for a lifetime.

The main economic news of the past week: Ukraine’s cabinet appoints Roman Nasirov head of the State Fiscal Service, Naftogaz Ukrainy unveils its audited financial report and increases its financial claims against Russia’s Gazprom, and annual inflation breaks an anti-record.

Deputy Minister of Finance of Ukraine Artem Shevalyov spoke in an interview with UNIAN about the preparation of a new development strategy for state-owned banks, and the participation of international organizations in the management of state-controlled banks.

The first ten days of May Ukraine routinely result in anxiety in Ukraine. The “Right Sector” decided to remind us of itself and of its unique status, but the response wasn’t good. Meanwhile, Dmytro Firtash was broadcasting his not-so-fresh secrets from Vienna.

A 5.5% decline of the economy, with inflation at about 30% is forecast by the Finance Ministry for 2015, 27 new political parties have been registered in Ukraine since the beginning of this year, 209 Ukrainians are still in earthquake-hit Nepal, $16 billion is the total amount Ukraine is claiming from Gazprom in the Stockholm arbitration court.

Last weekend, in honor of Environment Weekend, activists across the country conducted a general cleaning. But is it only cleaning that helps deal with the litter problem?

Ukranian President Petro Poroshenko and his French colleague Francois Hollande held talks in Paris; the United States may increase its participation in the settlement of the Donbas conflict; and statements from Russian officials are becoming more and more absurd.

Over the past year, Russia has not only violated Ukraine’s territorial integrity, having annexed Crimea and further escalated the conflict in the Donbas, but also challenged the global geopolitical balance - so much so that now it has to prepare for a new economic reality.

Ahead of two important events for Ukraine – the Ukraine-EU Summit and the Eastern Partnership Summit - Director of the Government Office for European Integration of the Cabinet Secretariat Natalia Hnydyuk told UNIAN about the progress in bringing Ukraine’s legislation into line with European standards.

2 high profile murders – of an ex-deputy from the Party of Regions Oleh Kalashnikov and a journalist Oles Buzyna - took place in Kyiv, 94 terrorists have been convicted in Ukraine since the beginning of the anti-terrorist operation (ATO), UAH 6,109 is today’s salary of Ukrainian MPs, UAH 800 million was allocated by Ukraine’s government for veterans’ social assistance.

The murders of Oleh Kalashnikov and Oles Buzyna could have been seen as someone eliminating witnesses, if it were not for the overly blatant PR from the Kremlin’s master on their deaths. UNIAN tried to see how clearly “Russian fingerprints” could be seen in these crimes.

The chairman of the Informal Group of Friends of European Ukraine in the EP, Vice-president of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Petras Auštrevičius, told UNIAN about the ban on communist symbols in Lithuania.

Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski confirmed his reputation as one of the most consistent friends of Ukraine in the European Union. The rapid de-communization of the country’s historical past looks like an attempt to catch up with Central European states.

The country’s largest mining and steel group Metinvest, owned by billionauire businessman Rinat Akhmetov, has announced that it is in default on previously issued debt securities for $ 113 million. UNIAN tried to find out why the owner of the Iron and Steel Works in the hometown of the fugitive Yanukovych cannot pay his debts.

Kharkiv Regional Administration head Ihor Rainin told UNIAN about separatism in Kharkiv, how much pay the perpetrators of terrorist acts were given, the complexities of the refugee issue, and the influence of Kharkiv Mayor Hennadiy Kernes and former governor Mykhailo Dobkin. 

After a year of military operations in eastern Ukraine, the Kremlin has failed to prove that it is actually a civil war that has engulfed the Donbas. However, there should be one civil battle – to end the division among Ukrainians, whether they live in Kyiv, Lviv, or Donetsk.

On the last day of March, the remnants of the Party of Regions, or the Opposition Bloc in Ukraine’s parliament, formed a shadow cabinet. But this collection of political has-beens doesn't look any different from previous shadow governments. UNIAN visited the event marking their retreat into the shadows.

The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation never ceases to amaze the general public. Rather than restoring order in Russia, the IC regularly “amazes” us with new criminal cases regarding Ukraine.