Czech President Petr Pavel arrived in Ukraine on a working visit, meeting with the head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration, Maksym Kozytskyi. The Czech Republic remains a strategic partner of Ukraine, having provided military assistance worth 837 million dollars.
European crypto exchange WhiteBIT is launching a Global Talent Program for Ukrainian developers. The program will last four months and transform Junior+ developers into blockchain professionals.
Okamura emphasized that he sees no reason why the Czech Republic should treat Ukraine more leniently than other countries, and also noted that the countries are not allies.
Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka arrived in Ukraine to meet with Andriy Sybiha. His trip was delayed due to Russian missile attacks, which he criticized.
Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha held talks with the newly appointed Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka on January 6. The parties agreed to strengthen political dialogue and discussed defense cooperation.
Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka met with Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Zvarych. They discussed the mood in Czech society and the recent public discussion regarding the New Year's address by Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Tomio Okamura.
On January 2, the Peresypsky District Court of Odesa chose a pre-trial detention measure in the form of detention without bail for the organizer of a transnational drug supply channel. The value of one batch of cocaine, which was planned to be imported weekly, exceeded 200 thousand US dollars.
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš will review his predecessors' initiative to supply ammunition to Ukraine. He considers the initiative "a good thing" but demands a corruption check and will discuss it on January 7.
Czech President Petr Pavel expressed concern over the anti-Ukrainian statements made by the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Tomio Okamura. He plans to discuss this issue with the Prime Minister and constitutional officials.
Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sybiha supported the Ukrainian ambassador after criticism from the Czech Foreign Ministry, calling the diplomat's actions professional and justified. Sybiha emphasized that the ambassador's reaction was a response to unacceptable attacks against Ukraine.
Czech opposition parties are initiating a vote on the dismissal of Tomio Okamura from the post of Speaker of the lower house of parliament. The reason for this is his New Year's statements about Ukraine, which caused outrage and accusations of spreading Russian propaganda.
Law enforcement officers have dismantled an international cocaine supply channel to Ukraine, organized by a group of citizens from Ukraine, Armenia, the Czech Republic, and Germany. The organizer, who had previously served a sentence for drug offenses in the US, planned to import up to 2 kg of cocaine weekly, with the value of a single shipment exceeding $200,000.
Vasyl Zvarych, Ukraine's Ambassador to the Czech Republic, called the anti-Ukrainian statements by Czech Parliament Speaker Tomio Okamura disgraceful. Okamura spoke out against providing weapons to Ukraine, calling the war "senseless," and expressed unwillingness to see Ukraine in the EU.
Czech Parliament Speaker Tomio Okamura spoke out against providing weapons to Ukraine, calling the war "senseless. " He stated that the money of Czech pensioners should not go to support "pro-war propaganda."
The draw for the group stage of the 2026/2027 Nations League will take place on February 12, 2026, in Brussels. The Ukrainian national team will compete in League B.
In 2025, assets dependent on the end of the war showed rapid growth, but investors are acting cautiously due to risks to the Ukrainian economy. US activation in the peace process and a loan from the EU stimulated optimism, but large funds remain skeptical about the terms of the agreement.
On December 19, the European Union approved €90 billion in funding for Ukraine, which the country will repay after receiving reparations from Russia. Journalists found out how this process took place.
A Politico columnist predicts that the Russian-Ukrainian war will end next year on terms extremely unfavorable to Ukraine. This is due to the EU's inability to agree on the use of frozen Russian assets and insufficient funding.
The European Commission will investigate Czech state aid for the construction and operation of two new nuclear power units in Dukovany. This initiative aims to accelerate decarbonization and eliminate electricity supply shortages, with planned commissioning in 2036 and 2037.
The Czech Republic's Security Council will discuss the future of the initiative to supply artillery ammunition to Ukraine on January 7. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš expressed concerns about the transparency of the initiative.
EU taxpayers will pay €3 billion annually in interest on a loan to finance Ukraine's defense. The new plan will provide Ukraine with €45 billion next year, with the remaining funds to be paid in 2027.
Russia has decided to terminate military agreements with 11 European countries, concluded in 1992-2002. These agreements regulated bilateral military cooperation after the collapse of the USSR.
Czech Defense Minister Jaromír Zuna confirmed the continuation of the ammunition initiative for Ukraine until 2026. Funding has been secured for the purchase of 760,000 shells, and support for Ukraine is "a matter of course."
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated that he managed to prevent "a declaration of war on Russia" by allocating a 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine. In response, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski ironically "awarded" Orban the Order of Lenin.
EU leaders agreed on a plan to finance Ukraine through joint borrowing after 16 hours of negotiations. Politico named Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever as the main "winners" of the summit.
The European Council decided to allocate 90 billion euros in funding to Ukraine for 2026-2027. The funds will be based on EU borrowings without the use of Russian assets and without the involvement of the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia.
European Union leaders have not reached an agreement on using frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine. Discussions on providing a loan will continue on December 19 at the summit in Brussels.
President Zelenskyy held talks with Czech President Petr Pavel. The situation on the front, particularly the operation in Kupyansk, and defense support for Ukraine were discussed.
KNDS, the manufacturer of Leopard 2 tanks, has confirmed its intention to conduct an initial public offering in 2026. A dual listing on the Paris and Frankfurt stock exchanges is planned to expand access to capital amid record demand for defense products.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the possibility of financial support for Ukraine through the issuance of joint EU debt, as an alternative to using frozen Russian sovereign assets. This comes ahead of a meeting of EU leaders where ways to finance Ukraine will be discussed amid its expected deficit of 135 billion euros by 2027.
