Excerpts from the most important news on Ukraine
PrivatBank’s head calls on Zelensky to stand behind lender’s rescue or risk capital flight
12.02.2020
Ukraine is at risk of capital flight and a plummeting currency unless President Volodymyr Zelensky stands behind the clean-up of the country’s biggest lender, the bank’s chief has warned, ft.com reports.Petr Krumphanzl, who took over as PrivatBank’s chief executive in 2018, said there was a “real risk” that the bank could be returned to its former owners by the Ukrainian courts or that they could win the right to generous compensation under draft legislation before parliament.For Ukraine’s multilateral lenders ...The number of foreigners visiting Ukraine hit 27.3 mln
07.02.2020
The number of foreigners visiting Ukraine reached 27.3 million in 2019, according to a recent report by Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service.This figure is more than double the 13 million visitors in 2014. The majority of the visitors , Great ...Gazprom risks re-opening the antitrust case in EU
06.02.2020
Because of Bulgaria’s discontent, Gazprom risks re-opening the antitrust case the European Commission had led against the russian gas export monopoly over suspected abuse of its dominant position in the Eastern European gas market, EURACTIV reports.The Case AT.39816 – Upstream gas supplies in Central and Eastern Europe is very likely to become part of the new Commission’s agenda.According to sources in Sofia, Bulgarian state-owned gas supplier Bulgargaz is preparing to ask the Commission to resume antitrust proceedings against Gazprom because of the russian ...Pro-russian CyberSpy APT Gamaredon Wages Silent War with Ukranian Military
06.02.2020
In the 21st century, cyberspace became an integral warfare domain joining those of the traditional land, air, sea, and space, writes Vitali Kremez for sentinelone.com.Cyber attacks are currently listed among the top offensive tools of a potential adversary along with such classic instruments as submarines or special operations (SpecOps) teams. The recent discussion of the Islamic Republic of Iran to retaliate digitally for the US takedown of General Soleimani concludes that kinetic and cyber offense currently exists within the same framework and ...China-Ukraine trade grew by one third during the first 11 months of 2019
05.02.2020
China-Ukraine trade grew by one third during the first 11 months of 2019, to $11.7 billion, Dmytro Kuleba, deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, told Ukrainian officials preparing for a major China-Ukraine meeting this year.Last year, China displaced russia as Ukraine’s largest single nation trading partner. Calling China “our strategic partner,” Kuleba told ministry representatives to remove barriers to trade and to open up new opportunities for Chinese investment here.He said that 34 Ukrainian-Chinese research projects are ...russia maintains a chokehold on media in Crimea – Freedom House
05.02.2020
Despite the release of Crimean journalist Mykola Semena after four years of probation and a ban on leaving Crimea, the media in the annexed Crimea remain tightly restricted, with professional and citizen journalists facing reprisals for their work.“Freedom House celebrates Mykola Semena’s release and acquittal,” said Marc Behrendt, director for Europe and Eurasia programs at Freedom House, in the official statement.According to him, this represents “a small victory” in the protection of media freedom in Crimea, because the criminal charges initiated against ...Rakuten wants to open R&D center in Kyiv
05.02.2020
Japan’s company Rakuten, the owner of Viber service, intends to open a research and development center in Kyiv, the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation has reported on its Facebook page.“Rakuten is expanding its presence in Ukraine. An existing office in Odesa is being developed and an R&D center is being opened in Kyiv,” reads the statement.According to the ministry, Rakuten in Ukraine may be interested in the following areas: stimulating the development of IT industry, cooperation with the Ukrainian blockchain community, ...Remittances from Ukrainians working outside the country grew to $12.9 bln
04.02.2020
Remittances from Ukrainians working outside the country grew 12% y-o-y last year, to $12.9 billion, reports the National Bank of Ukraine.This volume of money offset Ukraine’s $12.1 billion 2019 trade deficit. In the last week, the central bank registered two new money transfer systems: Pay Place Ukraine and NovaPay, a unit of Nova Poshta.There are now 31 registered payment systems in Ukraine.Ukrainian startup raised $300k from angel investors
03.02.2020
Startup Mriyar raised $300,000 from angel investors for the development of auto parts and car services trading platform, according to AIN.UA.The startup plans to provide both business-to-business and business-to-consumer services.b2b – first, the platform receives data on the offer of auto parts from importers, wholesalers, and retailers. In fact, these are price-lists with available items and delivery terms. b2c is a regular marketplace. The data is kept under constant review to provide an efficient method of management. The company also ...Ukrainians are the fastest-growing nationality to receive refugee status in the US
03.02.2020
Ukrainians are the fastest-growing nationality to receive refugee status in the US, growing from 3% in 2016 to 15% in 2019, The Washington Post reports.Most Ukrainians come in under the Lautenberg Amendment, a 1989 law that allows historically persecuted groups in the former Soviet Union to emigrate to the US without having to demonstrate persecution.Last year, most of the 4,551 Ukrainians who came as refugees were Protestants. Refugees interviewed by Post reporter Abigail Hauslohner largely cited economic reasons for leaving ...Ukrainian student buys the rights to a film adaptation of Stephen King story for $1
01.02.2020
A 19-year-old Ukrainian student Valentyn Lavreniuk has purchased the screen rights for the adaptation of Stephen King story. It was done under the Dollar Babies program, Yabl reports.Under the terms of this program, the writer offers amateur directors from around the world the rights to screen one of his stories. The program includes works that have not yet been bought by the filmmakers. The cost of the deal is $1. Each year, the writer concludes 5 to 10 such contracts.Valentyn plans to ...The United States issue new sanctions related to russia’s occupation of Crimea
30.01.2020
The Trump administration placed sanctions on Wednesday on leading russian-backed officials in Crimea, The Washington Post reports.Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin said the U.S. action “reiterates our unwavering support for restoring free and fair democratic political processes in Crimea.”The action gave a subtle cold shoulder to the Crimean officials, preceding each one’s title with “so-called.” Among them was Yuri Gotsanyuk, the “so-called Prime Minister of the so-called Republic of Crimea.” Other officials facing sanctions include the governor, the chairman of the ...
