Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) only wants to approve additional arms deliveries to Ukraine for three billion euros before the federal election even if they are financed by suspending the debt brake. The help is only possible via a separate borrowing, “because otherwise the money is not there,” he said in an RTL interview.
Scholz had already made this proposal in the traffic light negotiations on the 2025 budget, where the coalition was ultimately broken. “I would decide even now that if everyone joins in a decision: we finance it extra through loans.” But then “some would have to jump over their shadow,” said the chancellor. Anyone who does not want to say where the missing means should come from. Scholz estimated the hole in the not yet adopted budget at 26 billion euros by 2025.
In an interview with the “Westphalian News” and the “Westphalia leaf” specified Scholz, even if you asquire that everything money is not spent in the course of the year, there is probably a gap in cover of at least 16 billion euros. “If we want to decide on another three billion euros for bilateral arms aid for Ukraine, it would be an uncovered check.”
The FDP head and former finance minister Christian Lindner excludes a suspension of the debt brake. He wants to finance aid for Ukraine and the Greens through a “unscheduled edition”. However, according to Article 112 of the Basic Law, this would only be possible under certain conditions. “It may only be granted in the event of an unforeseen and irreplaintated need.” An example of such an issue was instant aid for flood victims in 2013 after severe flooding in parts of Germany.
Source: https://www.zeit.de/news/2025-01/15/scholz-will-ukraine-milliarden-nur-ueber-schulden-finanzieren
In 2024, Poninkivska Cardboard and Paper Mill-Ukraine (PCPF-Ukraine, Khmelnytsky region) increased its corrugated packaging output by 19.1% compared to 2023, to 98.8 million square meters.
As reported, the plant practically maintained the same production growth rate throughout the year, with an 18.7% increase in January-November.
According to Ukrpapir Association statistics provided toInterfax-Ukraine, the mill continues to be one of the top three producers of this product after Kyiv Cardboard and Paper Mill and Trypillia Packaging Mill.
Over the past year, the company also increased its production of containerboard (including corrugated paper) by 2.6% to 80.4 thousand tons, and paper by 24% to 0.95 thousand tons.
At the same time, in December, it reduced the production of corrugated boxes by 14% by December 2023, but increased by 10.6% by November 2024, to 12.8 million square meters. Paper and cardboard production decreased by 6% and 4.7%, respectively, to 7.3 thousand tons.
In monetary terms, PCPF-Ukraine produced products worth UAH 2 billion 732.4 million (+15.3%) over the year.
As reported with reference to the data collected by the association from the main enterprises of the industry, in 2024, the production of cardboard boxes in Ukraine increased by 12.3% compared to 2023 – up to 590.1 million square meters, paper and cardboard by 3.1% – up to 601 thousand tons (in particular, cardboard production decreased by 0.7% to 463.5 thousand tons, paper production increased by 18.2% to 137.5 thousand tons).
Poninkivska Paper Mill (formerly Poninkiv Cardboard and Paper Mill), once the largest producer of school notebooks, now has one main production facility – paper and cardboard, producing mainly corrugated cardboard and corrugated packaging, as well as wrapping and waste paper.
The plant is part of the United Cardboard Company-Ukraine (UCK, Lutsk) owned by businessman Mykola Lobov, whose production assets include, among others, Lutsk KPF-Ukraine (Volyn region), which last year (according to Ukrpapir) produced 63.7 thousand tons of various cardboard (down 3.4%) and 48.8 million square meters of corrugated boxes, compared to 17.4 million square meters a year earlier.
As reported, in 2023, PCPF-Ukraine produced products worth almost UAH 2 billion 450 million, up 3% year-on-year. Net profit increased 2.7 times to UAH 27 million.
Despite the temporary occupation of part of the agricultural land by the enemy, Ukraine demonstrated good results in the agricultural sector in 2024 and was able to return the historical ways of agricultural exports, and therefore offers the Portuguese Republic to strengthen cooperation, said Vitalii Koval, Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, at an online meeting with José Manuel Fernandes, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries of Portugal.
“In 2024, 57% of Ukraine’s agricultural exports went to the EU countries. In total, Ukraine exported agricultural products worth $24.6 billion, including $211.6 million to Portugal,” the Ministry of Agrarian Policy’s press service quoted the minister as saying.
In addition, he emphasized that last year Ukraine returned to its historical ways of agricultural exports, as 86% of agricultural products are exported through Odesa and Danube ports. According to him, Ukraine is actively working to open new markets, particularly in Africa and the Middle East.
Koval urged his Portuguese counterpart to work together to combat the illegal sale of Ukrainian grain to Russia.
The Minister also thanked the people of Portugal for their consistent support of Ukraine and the President’s humanitarian initiative Grain From Ukraine.
According to the project’s weekly monitoring, since the beginning of this week alone, carrots on the Ukrainian market have fallen in price by an average of 10%. Today, producers offer these root crops for sale at 23-30 UAH/kg ($0.54-0.71/kg), depending on the quality and volume of the batch. It should be noted that producers are forced to make such price adjustments even in the face of limited supply of quality carrots on the market.
According to the producers, the pressure on prices is exerted by a very restrained demand for medium and low quality vegetables. Wholesale companies and retail chains are willing to buy these root vegetables only in small batches, explaining their decision by the extremely low retail sales.
This season, producers attribute the problems with the quality of vegetables to unfavorable weather conditions during the growing season and harvesting. Starting in the second summer month of 2024, Ukraine experienced dry, hot weather that prevented the plantations from developing normally. Last fall, due to heavy rainfall during the harvest, farmers were forced to store products with high humidity.
However, despite the reduction in the price of carrots, today these root crops are offered for sale in Ukraine on average 2.2 times more expensive than in mid-January last year.
You can get more detailed information on the development of the carrot market and other fruit and vegetable products in Ukraine by subscribing to the operational analytical weekly – EastFruit Ukraine Weekly Pro. Detailed product information is available here.
Source: https://east-fruit.com/novosti/v-ukraine-nachala-deshevet-morkov/
Kokhavyno Paper Mill (KPM, Lviv region), which produces sanitary paper products, increased its production by 85.2% in 2024 compared to 2023, to UAH 2 billion 132 million, according to statistics from Ukrpapir Association.
As reported, the factory started last year with a 9% increase in production by January 2023, but increased its growth every month, and in January-November it amounted to 82% compared to the same period in 2023.
According to the association’s statistics provided toInterfax-Ukraine, in physical terms, the production of the base paper for sanitary products at the factory increased by 42.2% to 59.3 thousand tons last year.
The output of toilet paper in rolls amounted to 137.3 million units, slightly decreasing by 2023. KPF confidently ranks second in terms of its output after Kyiv CPP.
As reported, in October last year, Kokhava Pulp and Paper Mill put into operation a paper machine for the production of cellulose base paper (previously, it produced only waste paper-based products). To organize such production in 2021, the mill attracted a EUR 13.8 million loan from the EBRD.
Kokhava Pulp and Paper Mill, which has been operating since 1939, produces base paper for sanitary and hygiene products, as well as toilet paper and paper towels. Before the new machine was put into operation, the mill had two paper machines with a total capacity of 40 thousand tons of base paper per year.
In 2023, the plant increased its production by 18% compared to 2022 to UAH 1 billion 151.2 million, while net profit increased 2.7 times to UAH 137 million.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and Serbian Energy Minister Dubravka Jedovic-Handanovic agreed on Wednesday to intensify investment policy in the energy security sector and speed up the construction of the first oil pipeline between the two countries, the Hungarian foreign minister said.
“We have agreed to expand joint investments in energy and energy security, including the construction of the first interconnecting oil pipeline,” Szijjarto wrote on Facebook (Meta Platforms Inc.).
In addition, Sijarto and Jedovic-Handanovic agreed to step up funding for “a new power line connecting the networks of the two countries.”
“For our country, Serbia is a strategic partner, without Serbia there will be no energy security for Hungary, and vice versa,” the Hungarian Foreign Minister added.
As reported, the construction of the oil pipeline between Hungary and Serbia is expected to be completed by 2026. The new branch will be connected to the Druzhba pipeline and will allow Serbia to diversify its oil supplies and not depend on Croatia.
