As of February 14, Ukraine exported 27.275 mln tonnes of grains and pulses since the beginning of 2024-2025 marketing year, of which 1.585 mln tonnes were shipped since the beginning of the current month, the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food reported, citing the State Customs Service.
According to the report, as of the same date last year, the total shipments amounted to 26.269 million tons, including 2.393 million tons in February.
In particular, since the beginning of the current season, Ukraine has exported 11.464 mln tonnes of wheat (10.14 mln tonnes in 2023/24 MY), 2.106 mln tonnes of barley (1.507 mln tonnes), 10.8 thsd tonnes of rye (1 thsd tonnes), and 13.27 mln tonnes of corn (14.355 mln tonnes).
The total export of Ukrainian flour since the beginning of the season as of February 14 is estimated at 45.5 thsd tonnes (in 2023/24 MY – 70.6 thsd tonnes), including wheat – 42 thsd tonnes (66.9 thsd tonnes).
In January 2025, TAS Insurance Group (Kyiv) paid UAH 202.6 million under the concluded insurance contracts, which is 26.5% more than the amount of the company’s indemnities for the same month in 2024.
According to the insurer’s website, 27.63% of the total volume of payments was for hull insurance (UAH 56 million), which is 37% more than in January of the previous year, 31% or UAH 62.7 million (+7.8%) for MTPL, and 24.9% for Green Card.
The share of VHI in the company’s claims portfolio in December amounted to 15.9%, or UAH 32.13 million (+28.3%).
The company paid out UAH 14.82 million under other insurance contracts.
TAS BUSINESS was registered in 1998. It is a universal company offering more than 80 types of insurance products in various types of voluntary and compulsory insurance. It has an extensive regional network: 28 regional directorates and branches and 450 sales offices throughout Ukraine.
Cryptocurrencies are increasingly becoming part of the global financial system, and countries in the Balkan region are demonstrating a variety of approaches to their regulation.
Serbia
Status: Officially recognized and regulated.
Legislation: Law on Digital Assets (2020).
Regulators: The National Bank of Serbia and the Securities Commission.
Taxes:
Capital gains tax: 15%.
Income tax: 15%.
Penalties: Up to 5 million dinars ($46,400) or 20% of annual income for operating without a license.
Croatia
Status: Not recognized as legal tender, but not prohibited.
Regulation: There is no special law, operations are regulated by general rules.
Taxes: Income from cryptocurrencies is subject to capital gains tax.
Albania
Status: Regulated by law (2020).
Regulators: Financial Supervision Authority and National Agency for Information Society.
Taxes:
Capital gains tax: 15%.
Corporate tax: 15%.
Sanctions: Administrative fines and restrictions on activities.
Status: There is no special legislation, operations with cryptocurrencies are not prohibited.
Warnings: The central bank notes the risks associated with cryptocurrencies.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Status: Not legal tender, no exchange for official currency is possible.
Taxes: The tax on income from transactions is 10%.
Regulation: There is no legislation, but trading and buying cryptocurrencies is allowed.
Republika Srpska (part of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Status: Cryptocurrencies are legalized (amendments to the law on the securities market, 2022).
Supervision: Securities Commission.
Taxes: Income tax is 10%.
North Macedonia
Status: Not recognized as legal tender.
Regulation: There is no regulation, cryptocurrency activities are not prohibited.
Kosovo
Status: Not recognized as legal tender, no special legislation.
Restrictions: A complete ban on mining has been introduced since 2022 due to the energy crisis.
Approaches to cryptocurrencies in the Balkans vary:
Serbia and Albania establish a clear legal framework, ensuring the legality of operations.
Montenegro and North Macedonia have no special regulation, but do not prohibit its use.
Kosovo restricts activities due to the energy crisis.
It is important for potential users and investors to study local laws and consult with experts to work safely and legally with cryptocurrencies in the region.
Source: https://t.me/relocationrs/434
Elections in Ukraine should be held no earlier than six months after the end of martial law, said David Arakhamia, head of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction.
“Let me remind you once again that, first of all, elections are impossible during martial law. And secondly, within the framework of the Jean Monnet Dialogue, the leaders of all factions and groups have agreed that elections will be held no earlier than 6 months after the end of martial law,” he wrote in Telegram.
He also recommends that everyone once again read the text of this document with the conclusions adopted during the ninth Monet Dialogue (Jean Monnet Dialogues for Peace and Democracy), which he attached below the text of the statement.
The presidential, parliamentary and local elections in Ukraine are being prepared for simultaneous holding by the current authorities on October 26 this year, according to MP and leader of the European Solidarity party Petro Poroshenko, based on information from his own sources.
In an interview with Censor.net published on Sunday, answering the question of when, in his opinion, elections in Ukraine are possible, he said: “Write it down – October 26 this year.”
When asked how he came to this conclusion, the politician replied: “You know them, they are on Bankova Street (where the Office of the President of Ukraine is located). According to our sources in law enforcement. According to our sources in the printing plant “Ukraine”, which is currently processing as many ballots as necessary. According to our sources in the Central Election Commission, which is starting to make changes to the voter register According to our sources in the Ministry of Justice, which is opening its first office in Berlin. This is solely for the preparation of the elections.”
“So I think the elections will be held at the end of the year. What should they be tied to? According to the Constitution, parliamentary elections should be held at the end of the year. Although they should have been held two years ago. And at the end of October we have to have local elections. The government’s dream is to hold all elections simultaneously. But the Americans do not allow it,” Poroshenko said.
At the same time, he believes that representatives of the current government are afraid to leave it and “are now preparing everything to leave them without opponents and crawl back into power, destroying democracy, freedom, and transparency of elections.”
Poroshenko also said that he was categorically against holding elections in the near future.
He said that he had been in contact with Ukraine’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (2021-2024) Valeriy Zaluzhny, but had not discussed running for office with him.
“No, we did not talk about political issues, because I stand by my position – I am against elections. I believe that there may be a situation when there will be no place to go. I believe that the very existence of the state is now under threat,” the European Solidarity leader said.
Poroshenko denied the information that he had allegedly told representatives of partner countries that elections should be held in Ukraine as soon as possible. “It’s just incompetence, unprofessionalism (spreading such information). They do not understand that if I incite international partners, I am shooting myself in the foot. Do you know why? I have, but maybe 20-30 percent of them are secret meetings. If I say everywhere, including in interviews, that elections are suicide, and then I come and incite you to elections, no one will talk to me. This is a different policy, not the policy of 5-6 managers,” he said.
At the same time, the politician believes that the sanctions imposed against him by the National Security and Defense Council have actually launched the election campaign. “Today, the elections begin with sanctions, because in fact they have acted as a kind of flag for the start of the election campaign,” Poroshenko said.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes that without security guarantees, the economic agreement with the United States on rare earth metals will not work.
“If we do not receive security guarantees from the United States, I believe that the economic agreement will not work. Everything must be honest,” Zelensky said in an interview with NBC News.
The President of Ukraine made it clear that any deal involving Ukrainian minerals must be accompanied by security guarantees from the United States.
“We looked at what America imports, what rare earth metals, what America imports for its industry. And when we took titanium as an example, we say that we have titanium in Ukraine, and this is accurate information. And it’s enough for the industry for 40 years,” he said.
“Help us protect it, and we will make money on it together,” Zelenskyy said.
For its part, the United States called Ukraine’s position short-sighted, the Associated Press reports.
White House National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement that “President Zelensky is short-sighted in his assessment of the great opportunity the Trump administration has provided to Ukraine.”
Hughes said that the minerals deal would allow U.S. taxpayers to “recoup” money sent to Kyiv while also helping to develop Ukraine’s economy.
Hughes added that the White House believes that “binding economic ties with the United States will be the best safeguard against future aggression and an integral part of a lasting peace.” He added: “The United States recognizes this, the Russians recognize this, and Ukrainians should recognize this,” AR writes.
