The German government plans to introduce stricter rules for receiving social assistance for the unemployed, including refugees from Ukraine, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in an interview with ARD television on Sunday. In an interview with ARD on Sunday, July 13, Merz confirmed that citizens in need of support will continue to receive it. However, the German government intends to introduce stricter rules for applicants.
“People who can work must work,” Merz emphasized. In addition, housing cost requirements may be tightened, for example, by introducing rent caps or checks on living space.
According to the German chancellor, there is significant potential for savings when, as part of the reform, basic income will be paid to citizens instead of benefits from 2026. “More than one or two billion can be saved,” Merz said, adding that the “change in the system” must take place “step by step.”
According to Merz, the aim of basic income should be “to ensure that those who really need state assistance continue to receive it in the future.” “I would even be prepared to increase the rates, for example in the event of sudden unemployment, so that those affected can quickly find new jobs,” he said.
In 2024, around 826,000 working citizens in Germany were unable to live on their wages. The state paid them “Bürgergeld” (citizen’s income) amounting to EUR 7 billion. Among the recipients of “Bürgergeld” in Germany are Ukrainian refugees from the Russian war.
According to DW, as of 2024, there were 1.25 million Ukrainians living in Germany, 296,000 of whom were employed. Another 211,000 Ukrainians in the country were unemployed, and 98,000 were attending integration courses.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko on Monday and offered her the position of prime minister and asked her to significantly revamp the government.
“I had a meeting with First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. There was a report on the implementation of agreements with European and American partners on support for Ukraine, which were reached at the recent conference on Ukraine’s recovery. We must implement as quickly as possible everything that can support the stability of our state and society,” Zelensky wrote on Telegram on Monday.
According to him, during the meeting with Svyrydenko, they discussed “specific measures that could strengthen Ukraine’s economic potential, expand support programs for Ukrainians, and scale up our own weapons production.”
The president noted that to this end, we are beginning to transform the executive branch in Ukraine. “I have offered Yulia Svyrydenko to head the Ukrainian government and significantly revamp its work. I look forward to the new government’s action plan in the near future,” he wrote.
A lingerie boutique with a unique vision, Bodium, will open in the Ocean Mall shopping center in Kyiv, among the brands represented are French Livy and Maison Close, the company’s press service reported.
“Bodium is a chain of lingerie boutiques with a clear vision. It is a selection of brands, each of which is about style, boldness, and detailed aesthetics. We chose Ocean Mall because it is a space for a new generation — bold, modern, and aesthetic. Ocean Mall is truly a new format for Ukraine. You can already feel a different energy, a different mindset, a different level. We are confident and believe that a new wave of consumer culture and customer experience is being formed here,” said Svitlana Golovina, project manager at Bodium.
According to her, Bodium’s audience is modern women who value aesthetics, freedom of self-expression, and quality. Among the brands represented are the modern cult French brands Livy (founded by Lisa Chavi in 2017) and Maison Close (Nicolas Bouhni in 2006).
“Livy is a story of inspiration born from art, female uniqueness, and uncompromising beauty. Designer Lisa Chavi, who has worked for legendary French fashion houses such as Dior and Chantal Thomass, has created a brand where sensuality becomes a form of expression and lingerie becomes a language of art. Livy reimagines lingerie culture,” Golovina explained.
Each Livy collection is a well-thought-out capsule where exquisite lingerie is complemented by clothing items such as sheer silk blouses, backless jackets, and dresses. Livy encourages women not to hide their lingerie but to make it part of their look.
“We sincerely believe that the grand opening of Ocean Mall will take place under the peaceful skies of Kyiv. With new meanings and deep gratitude for each new day,” Golovina said.
Ocean Mall is a retail resort shopping center. It has a total area of 300,000 square meters and parking for 4,000 cars. The shopping center will have 800 stores and 50 restaurants. Among the largest tenants are the Silpo grocery supermarket and flagship stores of the world’s largest retailers in the fashion, sports, and home goods segments. Over 30,000 square meters of the Ocean Mall shopping and entertainment center is dedicated to entertainment, including the Galaxy amusement park for the whole family and a 7-screen multiplex cinema.
Source: https://interfax.com.ua/news/general/1087460.html
Livy, Maison Close, OCEAN MALL, shopping and entertainment center
Nibulon, one of Ukraine’s largest grain market operators, has launched a new service – harvesting. The grain trader has already processed more than 5,000 hectares in the Odesa region, according to its press service.
According to the report, Nibulon uses Claas Lexion 7700 combines and its own fleet of trucks to carry out the work, which allows it to control the entire chain from the field to the elevator.
The harvesting service includes the delivery of equipment exactly on time, transparent pricing — a fixed rate per crop, booking without obligations, but with priority during the season.
The agricultural holding is now ready to scale up and sign further contracts with producers throughout Ukraine.
Nibulon LLC was established in 1991. Before the Russian military invasion, the grain trader had 27 transshipment terminals and complexes for receiving agricultural crops, a capacity for one-time storage of 2.25 million tons of agricultural products, a fleet of 83 vessels (including 23 tugboats), and owned the Mykolaiv Shipyard.
Before the war, Nibulon cultivated 82,000 hectares of land in 12 regions of Ukraine and exported agricultural products to more than 70 countries around the world. In 2021, the grain trader exported a record 5.64 million tons of agricultural products and delivered record volumes to foreign markets in August (0.7 million tons), in the fourth quarter (1.88 million tons), and in the second half of the year (3.71 million tons).
The grain trader is currently operating at 32% of its capacity, has created a special unit for demining agricultural land, and has been forced to move its central office from Mykolaiv to Kyiv.
Corteva Agriscience, an international science and technology-based agricultural company, intends to invest an additional $15 million in expanding its seed business in Ukraine as soon as the security situation allows, Corteva Vice President for Central and Eastern Europe Andre Negreiros said at the International Conference on Ukraine’s Recovery 2025 (Rome, Italy).
“Ukrainian farmers tend fields and crops that feed not only Europe, but also Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Every ton of grain that leaves the ports of Greater Odessa or sails down the Danube contributes to global food security. The resilience of the agricultural sector is a strategic necessity for Ukraine’s recovery. With this investment, we intend to modernize and expand our seed production and strengthen our partnerships with local farmers to meet the growing demand for Ukrainian corn and oilseeds, enabling them to generate new income,” the company’s press service quoted him as saying during a discussion on the revival and modernization of production in Ukraine.
Corteva Agriscience is a global agricultural company. It offers comprehensive solutions to maximize crop yields and profitability. It has more than 150 research facilities and more than 65 active ingredients in its portfolio. Its presence in Ukraine includes a central office in Kyiv, a research and development center in Lyubartsi (Kyiv region), and a seed production complex in Stasi (Poltava region).
In April 2022, the company decided to leave the Russian market due to the full-scale war unleashed by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
Since 2022, Corteva has allocated more than $2 million to help those affected, donated thousands of seed units to farmers working near the front line, launched a soil testing program to ensure safe crop production despite war-related contamination, and provided 350 rural women with training and grants through the TalentA program.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and state-owned Ukreximbank (Kyiv) have signed a Letter of Intent to sign a financial agreement under the Economic Resilience Support Program II project for a total amount of EUR 100 million to finance small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly in the energy efficiency and green technology sectors.
According to the bank’s website on Monday, the document was signed on July 10 at the International Conference on the Recovery of Ukraine (URC2025). The agreement is expected to give Ukrainian businesses access to long-term financing on favorable terms.
“Thanks to access to long-term financing, companies will be able to implement environmentally friendly projects, modernize production, and confidently integrate into the EU economic space,” said Viktor Ponomarenko, chairman of the board of Ukreximbank, as quoted in the statement.
According to the press release, the program aims to improve access for small and medium-sized businesses, as well as mid-cap companies, to sources of financing for investment projects and working capital needs. The initiative is expected to contribute to Ukraine’s sustainable economic development, its integration into the EU economy, and the entry of Ukrainian companies into international markets.
Within the framework of the EIB’s Green Initiative, Ukreximbank’s clients will be able to implement projects in the fields of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and the introduction of clean innovative technologies.
According to the NBU, as of April 2025, Ukreximbank ranked third in terms of total assets among 60 operating banks, with UAH 311.8 billion.
