Excerpts from the most important news on Ukraine
The World Bank approved a $200 million loan for support to Ukrainian farmers
29.05.2019
On May 24 the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved a US$200 million loan to Program-for-Results (PforR) on Accelerating Private Investment in Agriculture to improve opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Ukrainian agriculture sector.According to World Bank’s press release, The Program aims to increase agricultural sector competitiveness, diversification, and growth by enhancing the efficiency and targeting of sectoral support policies, improving transparency and efficiency of use in the state agricultural land, and improving agribusiness SMEs’ access to export markets. ...Petition for recognizing Holodomor as genocide gains required number of vote in Bundestag
28.05.2019
An online petition posted on the website of the German parliament recognizing the Holodomor in Ukraine of 1932-1933 as genocide of the Ukrainian people was signed by more than 50,000 people. This was announced by the Ambassador of Ukraine in Germany, Andriy Melnyk.On Sunday evening, the number of those who voted for the petition exceeded the required minimum of 50,000 votes.A petition on the website of the German Bundestag was posted on December 14, 2018. The document suggests that German deputies recognize ...Oligarch urges new president to default on debt
26.05.2019
Ukraine’s new president Volodymyr Zelensky should reject the International Monetary Fund’s programme and default on its external debt. This “sound” advice was voiced by Ihor Kolomoisky in an interview with the Financial Times.Concerns over Kolomoisky’s influence on the new president continue to grow after the billionaire returned to Ukraine and his lawyer was appointed Mr Zelensky’s chief of staff.Earlier previous Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said that if PrivatBank is returned to its former owner, ...Kyiv’s Sikorsky International Airport doubles passenger capacity
26.05.2019
Ukraine’s second most popular airport Kyiv’s Sikorsky International Airport unveiled its new-look main terminal building on 23 May following extensive reconstruction works that have doubled the airport’s passenger capacity, writes UkraineInvest Chairman Daniel Bilak.The approximately USD 23 million expansion includes the addition of 23 new check-in counters along with 12 passport control points, allowing the airport to accommodate 1040 departure passengers per hour, compared to 520 previously. Further reconstruction plans are already in place as Sikorsky seeks to keep pace with soaring ...Ukrainian startup People.ai raises $60M with new round of international investment
26.05.2019
A Ukrainian startup that aims to transform the way sales professionals perform has attracted USD 60 million in a new round of investment. According to People.ai’s press release, the startup on May 21 announced a $60M Series C funding round led by ICONIQ Capital with participation by Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed Venture Partners, GGV Capital and Y Combinator. Will Griffith.People.ai’s The Wire is an AI solution that provides a new way to deliver actionable insights to customer-facing teams. It is built ...World Bank keeps forecast of Ukraine’s GDP growth at 2.7%
26.05.2019
The World Bank has kept unchanged the forecast of Ukraine’s GDP growth at 2.7% in 2019. The World Bank Country Director for Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine, Satu Kahkonen, stated this at a press conference, according to an Ukrinform.At the same time, she noted that the current year would be quite difficult for Ukraine due to investors’ uncertainty because of elections. In addition, Ukraine may face challenges of attracting external financing.According to Kahkonen, to continue the trend of successful economic growth, Ukraine should ...PrivatBank Sues Billionaire Kolomoisky In U.S. Court
25.05.2019
A major Ukrainian bank has sued its former oligarch owners in U.S. court, amid a battle for control that could affect relations with Western lending institutions, writes rferl.org.PrivatBank, which was nationalized by Ukraine three years ago, filed the lawsuit on May 21 in Delaware state court against Ihor Kolomoisky and Hennadiy Boholyubov.Kolomoisky, who had been living in self-imposed exile for almost two years, returned to Ukraine following Zelensky’s election as a president of Ukraine on April 21. Zelensky is linked to Kolomoisky through the ...Kyiv is included in TOP 10 world’s best city views
20.05.2019
A British daily newspaper The Guardian picked the 10 cities with the best views based on the opinions of its readers. Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, has been included in this list.“Pastel-hued St Andrew’s Church, at the top of a steep hill in the historic Podil district of Kyiv, has wonderful baroque architecture. But what really sets this church apart from the many others is the viewing platform, accessed for a mere 60p, which affords magnificent 360-degree views of the city. ...5G mobile service should start in Ukraine in 2020
20.05.2019
5G mobile service should start next year in Ukraine, according to a decree signed Friday by President Poroshenko, writes ubn.news.The decree sets a schedule for releasing the necessary frequencies. Separately, Oleksandr Zhyvotovsky, head of the National Commission for Communications Regulation, writes on Facebook that this work will be done by fall. The Rada will have to pass implementing legislation.One year after the launch of 4G, about half of Ukrainians have access to the fast service, according to separate reports from ...moscow exploits German politics before EU elections
20.05.2019
With the European elections only three weeks away, the kremlin and its media are once again ramping up their attempts to influence the political debate in Germany and exploit the situation for their benefit, writes disinfoportal.org.As in previous election campaigns, kremlin media undertake the difficult task of portraying putin’s russia as a “good neighbor” of Germany while simultaneously exacerbating the country’s political and social tensions. The current German political landscape, with six main parties representing opposing views in the German ...Ukraine plans to launch state-backed Startup and Innovation Fund by autumn
20.05.2019
Ukraine expects to launch state-backed Startup and Innovation Fund by autumn 2019, writes UkraineInvest Chairman Daniel Bilak.Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has confirmed that the country’s state-backed Startup and Innovation Fund is on schedule for launch in autumn 2019. The Fund, which will be headed by the Minister of Finance and aims to support the growth of the country’s exciting but under-resourced startup scene, will be able to offer state funding to promising projects from an initial budget allocation of UAH ...Poroshenko: Ukraine and the EU have become closer than ever
19.05.2019
Incumbent President Petro Poroshenko is proud that during his presidency Ukraine and the EU have become closer than ever. He said this during the events on the occasion of Europe Day in Kyiv, an Ukrinform reports.“The Association Agreement, the creation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, visa-free regime, deep sectoral integration – all of these things lay the foundation for a modern European course of the Ukrainian state. I am proud that during my presidency Ukraine and the ...
