Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said during a meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Shannon Airport (Ireland) on Saturday that he had accepted an official invitation from the latter to visit Ukraine and hoped to make the visit in the coming weeks, The Irish Times reports.
During a brief conversation with journalists at the airport, Harris said he had a very good meeting with President Zelensky. “I’m very pleased to welcome him to Ireland,” he said, adding that “it gave me the opportunity to express the condolences of the people of Ireland to the people of Ukraine, to the President of Ukraine, for the loss of life during this brutal and illegal Russian war.”
The Irish prime minister also said he was “absolutely horrified” that Russia was abducting Ukrainian children. “I don’t believe the world knows enough about this… Russia is actively stealing children from Ukraine – taking young babies and children from their parents and taking them to the temporarily occupied territories or to Russia.”
Asked whether he and Zelensky had talked about the fact that the Irish government had recently cut child support payments to Ukrainian refugees living in the country, Harris said that the issue had not been raised.
“If that question had come up, I would have simply emphasized that it is very important to move from an emergency response to a more sustainable model,” he said, adding that “we have made the changes because we want to be able to continue to support those who need our support for as long as it takes. I think that from any fair and objective point of view, the changes we have made go a long way towards bringing Ireland in line with the best practice of other European countries.”
In addition, he noted that “everyone wants to achieve a situation where the war is over and the people of Ukraine can return home.” “The people of Ukraine will be welcomed here and will be accepted for as long as it takes,” Harris said.
He also added: “We want Ukraine to become a member of the EU, and if that happens, people from Ukraine will have the same freedom of movement as any other EU citizen.”
Export changes in % to previous period in 2023-2024
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
In January-June 2024, Naftogaz Group paid UAH 44 billion in taxes to the state budget of Ukraine and another UAH 3.2 billion to local budgets, the company said on its website on Thursday.
In particular, in June, UAH 8.7 billion was paid to the state budget and UAH 0.5 billion to local budgets.
“Despite the military challenges, we continue to work steadily, save jobs, fill the budgets of all levels and strengthen the economy of our country,” said Oleksiy Chernyshov, Chairman of the Board of Naftogaz of Ukraine.
As reported, in 2023, Naftogaz Group companies paid UAH 90.2 billion in taxes, UAH 83.4 billion of which went to the state budget and UAH 6.8 billion to local budgets.
In January-June this year, Ukraine reduced exports of ferroalloys in physical terms by 11.4 times compared to the same period last year, down to 24,206 thousand tons from 275,854 thousand tons.
According to statistics released by the State Customs Service (SCS) on Tuesday, exports of ferroalloys in monetary terms decreased 8.2 times to $29.345 million from $240.401 million.
The main exports were to Poland (30.50% of supplies in monetary terms), Turkey (22.13%) and Romania (13.20%).
In addition, in January-June, Ukraine imported 54.932 thousand tons of these products, compared to 3.745 thousand tons in January-June 2023 (an increase of 14.7 times). In monetary terms, imports increased 5.4 times to $90.924 million from $16.874 million.
Imports were mainly from Poland (43.97%), Norway (13.68%) and Kazakhstan (12.71%).
As reported, Pokrovsky Mining and Processing Plant (PGOK, formerly Ordzhonikidze Mining and Processing Plant) and Marganetsky Mining and Processing Plant (MGPK, both in Dnipropetrovska oblast), both part of Privat Group, stopped mining and processing crude manganese ore in late October and early November 2023, while NFP and ZFP stopped smelting ferroalloys. Later, ferroalloy plants resumed production at a minimum level.
In 2023, Ukraine decreased exports of ferroalloys in physical terms by 1.5% compared to 2022, to 344.173 thousand tons, while in monetary terms, exports of ferroalloys decreased by 47.2% to $297.595 million. The main exports were to Poland (52.79% of supplies in monetary terms), Turkey (14.13%) and the Netherlands (8.46%).
In addition, in 2023, Ukraine imported 14.203 thousand tons of these products, which is 30.9% less than in 2022. In monetary terms, imports decreased by 41% to $42.927 million. Imports were carried out mainly from Poland (23.94%), India (16.08%) and Armenia (14.35%).
Prior to the nationalization of the financial institution, PrivatBank organized the business of ZZF, NZF, Stakhanovsky ZF (located on the NCT), Pokrovske (formerly Ordzhonikidze) and Marganetsky mining and processing plants. Nikopol Ferroalloy Plant is controlled by EastOne Group, created in the fall of 2007 as a result of the restructuring of Interpipe Group, and Privat Group.
Secret Service agents escorted former US President Donald Trump off the stage after he fell to the ground at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, CNN reported.
“There were loud pops before Trump fell. Agents then helped him up and there was blood on his face. He yelled back at the crowd and raised his fist. He was then taken to a vehicle and evacuated from the scene,” the report said.
Reporters who witnessed the incident said they heard “a series of loud explosions or loud pops” before Secret Service agents rushed toward Trump.
The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the terms of privatization of a single property complex of the state enterprise Hotel Ukraina at an electronic auction with a starting price of 1 billion 47 million 637 thousand 152 UAH.
The Cabinet’s representative in the Verkhovna Rada Taras Melnychuk said in Telegram that the relevant decision was made at a government meeting on Friday.
As reported, in April, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine included in the list of objects of large privatization SE “Hotel “Ukraine”. In May, the action Commission determined the starting price of privatization of the hotel “Ukraine” 1 billion 47 million 637 thousand 152 UAH.
The capital’s hotel “Ukraine” is a state enterprise, which is under the jurisdiction of the State Property Fund. Hotel category “4 stars” on 14 floors has 363 rooms, six conference halls, rooms for negotiations. There is a parking lot for 80 cars and a shelter with a separate auditorium for 50 people. The total area of the building is 22.4 thousand square meters. The debt of the hotel by now amounts to more than UAH 45 mln.
