European Union

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a decision allowing two Ukrainian banks to attract up to EUR 30 million from the European Investment Bank to support Ukrainian small and medium-sized businesses by improving preferential lending conditions.

The Cabinet of Ministers will allocate UAH 7. 1 billion to purchase equipment to restore Ukraine's high-voltage power grid and better synchronize it with the EU grid.

The Ministry of Economy wants to attract assistance with financing teams of experts to help businesses and municipalities with applications for investment projects under the Ukraine Facility.

Japan, South Korea, and Australia are tightening regulations to limit the market power of large tech groups such as Apple and Google, creating new regulatory challenges similar to those in the EU and the US.

Ukraine has fulfilled all of its commitments to the EU membership negotiations, and a decision on the approval of the framework for negotiations is expected to be reached by consensus among EU leaders after the European Parliament elections in late June, as agreed, with all necessary documents ready by the end of May.

Ukraine is experiencing significant electricity shortages for most of the day due to widespread damage to power plants, necessitating emergency imports from neighboring countries and limiting consumption for industry from 6:00 p. m. to 7:00 a.m., with potential emergency blackouts if consumption increases.

Ukrainian gymnast Maria Vysocanska carried the Olympic torch on the first day of the relay in France to honor the memory of her father, who took part in the battle for Donetsk airport in 2014.

President Zelenskyy discussed preparations for the Global Peace Summit with European Commission President von der Leyen, who confirmed her participation.

Violent attacks and intimidation tactics were used against opposition activists and NGOs protesting Georgia's controversial law on "foreign agents.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine expects the negotiation framework to be approved and the actual start of negotiations on Ukraine's accession to the European Union in June, marking the next stage of rapprochement with the EU.

On Victory Day, Estonians put up a poster on the border with Russia that read "Putin is a war criminal" to remind Russia of its "destructive work" in Ukraine.

Oleg Kiper discussed important wartime topics with international leaders at the second International Cities and Regions Summit and signed cooperation agreements with Romanian and Moldovan partners.

On Europe Day, U. S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken emphasized the importance of the U.S.-EU partnership in defending against Russian aggression in Ukraine and noted shared democratic values and economic prosperity.

Wealthy Russians are trying to return their assets to Russia or friendly countries such as the UAE because of the sanctions, but fear the potential nationalization of their businesses in Russia, leaving them in a state of uncertainty.

Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, met with Robert Metsola, President of the European Parliament, in an air raid shelter during her visit to Kyiv on Europe Day to discuss military support, Ukraine's EU membership bid, and support for parliamentary cooperation.

President of the European Council Charles Michel confirmed his participation in the Global Peace Summit to be held in June during a telephone conversation with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and called on all world leaders to support Ukraine's peace efforts.

Ukraine is close to the start of actual accession negotiations with the European Union, and the President of the European Parliament is optimistic that the framework for negotiations will be adopted by EU member states in June.

The European Union does not recognize the so-called Russian elections, especially those held illegally in the occupied territories of Ukraine, and the new European Parliament is expected to take a strong position.

Georgia's Ambassador to France, Gocha Javakhishvili, resigned over a controversial law on foreign agents that has strained Georgia's relations with its European partners and made his mission extremely difficult.

President Zelenskyy and European Parliament President Mecola met in Kyiv to maximize efforts to protect lives in Ukraine and Europe from Russia's ongoing invasion and attacks.

The EU is still discussing possible measures against Tbilisi for adopting the law on "foreign agents. " The European Union is currently considering canceling the visa-free regime with Georgia if the country adopts this controversial law.

Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, a 68-year-old law professor and candidate for the opposition conservative party, won the presidential election in North Macedonia, becoming the first woman to hold the post in the country's history.

Ukraine's path to EU accession will be difficult, but the European Parliament and the EU will help rebuild Ukraine's infrastructure and economy because Ukraine is Europe and Europe is Ukraine, said European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.

Portugal's Foreign Minister said that Ukraine's accession to the EU is of fundamental importance to Portugal because of potential economic opportunities, solving the food problem, and because Ukraine is a pro-Atlantic ally.

Ukraine is close to starting EU accession talks after fulfilling all the necessary requirements, and the negotiation phase is expected to begin in June, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

90% of the frozen Russian assets worth about €192 billion held in the Belgian securities depository Euroclear will be used to support Ukraine, while the remaining 10% will go to the EU, leaving a significant portion of the total €220 billion of frozen Russian assets in the EU financial system unused.

The head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, indicated what the proceeds from frozen Russian assets are proposed to be used for in Ukraine.

In the first quarter of 2024, the United States overtook China to become Germany's top trading partner with a trade volume of 63 billion euros, while China's figure was just under 60 billion euros.

Due to hostile shelling and damage to energy facilities, electricity supplies to industrial consumers were limited, and restrictions are still possible, and Ukraine received emergency aid from Poland, Romania, and Slovakia, which amounted to about 3% of daily electricity consumption.

Today, on May 9, Ukraine, along with all the countries of the European Union, celebrates Europe Day. The event was launched in 1985 during a meeting of the European Council in Milan.