Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever will hold talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. Belgium expresses concerns about legal aspects and potential risks for its taxpayers.
Ukraine's reserves reached $54. 7 billion as of December 1, increasing by 10.6% in November. The growth was driven by receipts from partners, which offset the NBU's net sale of foreign currency and debt payments.
Ukraine has pushed back against hedge funds' demands regarding debt restructuring, stating that its proposal to exchange $3. 2 billion in GDP warrants is the best possible solution. The Ministry of Finance of Ukraine is confident in its proposal, which is intended to restore the sustainability of public debt.
On December 5, hourly power outages will be in effect throughout Ukraine for household and industrial consumers. The restrictions will last from 00:00 to 23:59 due to the consequences of Russian attacks.
The National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission plans to consider increasing the tariff of NEC "Ukrenergo" for electricity transmission. The increase will be 14.6% for most users, and 19.2% for enterprises of "green" electrometallurgy.
Oil prices rose: Brent to $63. 02, WTI to $59.36. Attacks on Russian oil pipelines and lack of progress in peace talks contribute to rising prices.
In November 2025, the share of electric vehicles in the Ukrainian new passenger car market rose to 38. 5%, surpassing gasoline cars. The share of gasoline and diesel engines decreased to 45.5%.
Germany is allocating an additional 100 million euros through the KfW Development Bank to restore Ukraine's damaged energy infrastructure. These funds will be directed to the Energy Support Fund for Ukraine, increasing Germany's total contribution to 550 million euros by the end of 2025.
Vitaliy Zaichenko, Chairman of the Board of NEC "Ukrenergo", reported signs of a reduction in the duration of power outages. Repair crews work around the clock, and after St. Nicholas Day, the situation is expected to improve.
Tesla registrations in Europe fell by 12. 3% in November, reaching about 17,000 cars. Excluding Norway, the decline was 36.3%, while in Norway sales increased by 175%.
The State Geological Survey sold a license for the Lyubinetska area in the Lviv region for UAH 110 million. The funds will go to the state budget and the American-Ukrainian Investment Fund for Reconstruction.
European low-cost airlines, including Wizz Air and Ryanair, plan to resume flights to Ukraine after a peace agreement is signed, predicting a boom in "catastrophe tourism" and the return of people. Wizz Air plans to base 15 aircraft within two years, and Ryanair could resume services two weeks after an agreement.
In the third quarter of 2025, Ukrainians took out 2. 1 million microloans. In total, since the beginning of the year, 6.5 million loans worth 40 billion hryvnias have been issued, with the average loan amounting to 6,417 hryvnias.
Over 110,000 consumers in Donetsk, Odesa, and Dnipropetrovsk regions remain without electricity due to Russian attacks on energy infrastructure. Throughout all regions of Ukraine, hourly power outage schedules are applied around the clock.
New Zealand is allocating $15 million to a program for the procurement of American weapons for Ukraine. This contribution is part of Ukraine's Priority Urgent Requirements List (PURL) and will only be used to purchase weapons or equipment that comply with the country's international obligations.
The Australian government has announced a military aid package for Ukraine worth 95 million Australian dollars. It includes contributions to PURL and the Drone Coalition, as well as military equipment.
Canadian oil prices have fallen to their lowest level relative to the American benchmark since March 2025. The decline is caused by increased production in Alberta amid a global raw material surplus and slowing global demand.
From 2026, Poland will see an increase in the minimum wage, the introduction of pay transparency, and new rules for calculating seniority. The fight against mobbing will also be strengthened, along with the digitalization of HR document management.
The government has decided to terminate the powers of the supervisory boards of a number of state energy companies. New members will be elected by the end of December, and the supervisory boards of defense sector enterprises will also be rebooted.
The European Union has added Russia to its list of high-risk countries for money laundering and as a sponsor of terrorism.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha announced significant progress on the issue of using frozen Russian assets. Ukraine hopes for a relevant decision to be adopted by the end of this year.
In six months, the state agency PlayCity updated gambling market rules, blocked over 2,500 online casinos, and collected over UAH 52 million in fines for illegal advertising. The lottery market was also relaunched, which will bring billions of hryvnias to the budget.
The Verkhovna Rada extended the testing period for the eExcise system until October 12, 2026. The system is expected to launch on November 1, 2026, giving businesses 10 months for testing.
The 2026 budget lays down a record need for external injections and a significant increase in expenditures. As fintech expert Olena Sosedka notes, the economy will be extremely sensitive to financing delays, and the dollar exchange rate may temporarily rise to UAH 49.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen informed the US administration about plans to develop a reparation loan system for Ukraine. This initiative involves using frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine in 2026-2027, covering two-thirds of its needs amounting to 90 billion euros, with the possibility of providing 165 billion euros.
SE "Forests of Ukraine" has started selling New Year's trees, having already sold about 10,000 trees. The prices for coniferous trees are affordable, ranging from UAH 210 to UAH 280, and have hardly changed compared to last year.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted to the Rada's adoption of the 2026 budget, thanking the parliamentarians. He emphasized that this is an important signal of Ukraine's resilience and stable financial provision for next year's needs.
The European Commission is proposing a “reparation loan” of 165 billion euros to Ukraine, using frozen Russian state assets. This loan is part of a broader financial package worth up to 210 billion euros to support Ukraine.
This year, the price of silver has risen by 100%, outperforming gold, thanks to supply shortages and high industrial demand. Metal reserves are close to historical lows, exacerbating the risk of scarcity.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the State Budget for 2026. 257 MPs voted "for", 37 - "against", 24 - "abstained".
