State budget

Parents of first-graders can receive a one-time assistance in two ways.

Andriy Odarchenko, sentenced to 8 years in prison and hiding abroad, continues to control the State Biotechnological University through the administration. The Ministry of Education and Science does not terminate Odarchenko's contract, and the Supervisory Board of the SBU ignores corruption and salary arrears.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen avoided a meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the COP30 conference due to Brussels' demands for London to pay billions of euros. The British leader wanted to discuss dissatisfaction with EU demands for a payment of up to 6.5 billion euros to participate in the "credits for weapons" program and contributions to the EU budget.

Education Minister Oksen Lisovyi extended the powers of Andriy Kudryashov, acting rector of the State Biotechnological University. He is under the influence of bribe-taking MP Andriy Odarchenko.

In Ukraine, parents will confirm the fact of conducting psychological, pedagogical, and correctional-developmental classes for children with special educational needs. This became possible thanks to changes to the Procedure and conditions for providing subventions, introduced by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 1386 of October 29, 2025.

The planned increase in VAT in Russia to 22% from 2026 will not provide the expected revenues, but on the contrary, will lead to a decrease in revenues by 6. 1 billion US dollars. This will increase inflationary pressure, reduce domestic demand, and increase the cost of government borrowing.

Spot gold prices rose 2% to $4079. 49 an ounce, reaching their highest level since October 27. Weak US economic data and a weakening dollar strengthened expectations of a Fed rate cut next month.

U. S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said it's still unclear when the Senate will be able to vote on a final resolution to reopen the government. He hopes a decision will be made early this week.

New data indicates millions of tons of Russian oil were transshipped through a port partly owned by Macquarie Bank, with potential sales to Australian companies. Australia has imported over 3 million tons of Russian-origin petroleum products since 2023 through third countries, creating loopholes in sanctions.

Brent crude futures rose to $64. 08 a barrel, and US WTI crude to $60.23. This happened amid expectations of a quick end to the US shutdown, which could increase oil demand.

The US Senate voted for the government funding bill, securing the minimum required 60 votes. Now the document must be approved by the House of Representatives to end the longest shutdown, which has been ongoing since October 1.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that the current shutdown is already causing the economy to shrink by almost half. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy noted that due to increasing absenteeism among unpaid air traffic controllers, the number of flights could significantly decrease.

Over $5 billion in US arms exports to support NATO allies and Ukraine have been delayed due to the government shutdown. This affects deliveries of AMRAAM missiles, Aegis combat systems, and HIMARS to Denmark, Croatia, and Poland.

From January 1, 2027, Ukraine will introduce a new classification of economic activities, NACE 2. 1-UA, which will replace the current KVED. The new system will cover all entrepreneurs, including individual entrepreneurs, maintaining a four-digit code structure but complying with the European standard.

This move could unlock funding for Kyiv as the EU seeks ways to secure a loan without the risk of non-repayment.

The European Commission proposes to permanently freeze Russian assets in the EU and use the proceeds to finance Ukraine. Rejection of this plan could lead to annual EU expenditures of 5.6 billion euros, affecting the deficit and debt of individual states.

The Russian government is promoting a bill on personalized drug certificates worth 4,500 rubles for low-income individuals, but the average price of a drug package has increased by 13. 6%. Patients with chronic kidney diseases in ten regions do not receive vital medications, and the number of medical scientists has decreased by 27% in 15 years.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune and his team are looking for new ideas to end the 38-day US government shutdown. This comes after attempts to force Democrats to vote for the House-passed funding bill failed.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegset called on defense companies to accelerate the development and production of weapons, threatening their disappearance. He also announced the creation of a "deal-making team" to support Pentagon procurement.

The US plans to acquire at least 1 million drones for the army over the next two to three years. This is a response to the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine and concerns about dependence on Chinese-made components.

The Cabinet of Ministers is launching an experimental project to pay monetary compensation for retrofitting vehicles for driving by persons with disabilities due to war. The compensation will amount to up to UAH 70,000 based on documented expenses.

The US shutdown has deprived oil traders of access to critical data on market positioning. This could destabilize commodity trading as the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has stopped publishing Commitments of Traders reports.

International tourism in Cuba continues to decline, putting the communist island on track for its worst performance since the pandemic. In the first nine months of the year, 1.4 million foreign tourists visited the island, which is 20% less than in the same period of 2024.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the preparation of new contracts for servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The basic financial support for them will be 50-60 thousand hryvnias, and the term of the contracts will vary from 1 to 5 years.

The YouControl platform has published financial data of Ukrainian enterprises for Q3 2025. 61,387 companies submitted their reports, with five state-owned enterprises among the top earners.

EU countries could pay up to 5. 6 billion euros in interest payments annually if they do not agree on 140 billion euros for Ukraine, secured by Russian assets. The European Commission sent a document to EU capitals, highlighting the financial consequences of rejecting this plan.

Naftogaz Group and Polish company ORLEN have signed agreements for the supply of at least 300 million cubic meters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US. This will contribute to diversifying supply routes and strengthening Europe's energy security.

The High Anti-Corruption Court changed the pre-trial restraint for former Odesa mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov, increasing his bail from UAH 30 million to UAH 42 million. This decision concerns the case of illegal appropriation of local budget funds and land plots.

As the state spends billions on the army and social programs are cut, HIV infection is spreading at a catastrophic rate. The Irkutsk region recorded 611 new cases of infection in the first five months of 2025, and the total number of infected people exceeds 31,000.

Russia could launch a limited military attack on NATO territory at any moment, said German military politician Alexander Solfrank. He pointed to Russia's significant combat power, despite losses in the war against Ukraine.