IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos has given Ukraine a number of recommendations on recovery and reforms and, among other things, in a motivational way urged Ukrainians to “believe in themselves as a lion” and “get up in the morning and roar”, follows from her speech at a plenary discussion organized by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation.
According to media reports, during the discussion Georgieva also stated the need to phase out electricity and heating subsidies, work on a fairer distribution of the tax burden, remove barriers to private sector dynamism and pay attention to security and labor availability, including the return of Ukrainians and the integration of veterans.
The Investment and Construction Congress (IBC) and the Real Estate Market Awards (REM Awards) ceremony, the main award in the Ukrainian real estate market, will take place on March 26, 2026, in Kyiv at the Parkovy Exhibition Center, according to the organizers.
According to the announcement, the event will last from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. in both offline and online formats. The venue will be the main hall “Chasha” (3rd floor) of the Parkovy Exhibition Center.
The organizers expect more than 6,000 participants, including developers, investors, architects, business owners, and top management. The congress program includes panel discussions, speeches by market representatives, investment analytics and practical cases, partner presentations, and an exhibition area.
The evening part (6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.) will feature the Real Estate Market Awards 2026 ceremony and a concert program. Anton Polishchuk and Nikita Dobrynin will host the evening.
According to the organizers, the IBC will feature over 100 speakers, 15 panel discussions, and more than 50 stands, with media support provided by DMNTR Media Group.
The event is organized by the DMNTR media group. For more information, visit: www.ibc-ua.info
Contact phone number: +38 (044) 461 91 28.
The Interfax-Ukraine news agency is the official information partner of the event.
On January 16, 2026, the current President of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, visited the NGO “Feel” together with the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Ukraine, Luboš Veselý, and with the participation of Vasyl Zvarych, Ambassador of Ukraine to the Czech Republic. The visit was aimed at familiarizing them with the practical results of supporting hearing rehabilitation programs for veterans in Ukraine.
The meeting took place in the format of informal communication with veterans — participants in the project “Can you hear? Plus. Plus.”, which is implemented by the NGO “Feel” with the financial support of the Czech Embassy. The project is a systematic program of comprehensive support for veterans and covers hearing aids, rehabilitation, and further support.
During the visit, the President of the Czech Republic spoke with two veterans, Vadym and his son Danylo Goncharenko, who received comprehensive support from the NGO “Vidchuy” as part of the project “Hear? Plus. Plus.” The meeting provided an opportunity to hear directly about their experiences and discuss the importance of hearing rehabilitation as a key factor in returning to a full and active life.
During the visit, special attention was paid to the approach of the public organization “Vidchuy” to comprehensive support for veterans, which combines hearing rehabilitation, individual selection of hearing solutions, and work with families.
The founder of the NGO “Vidchuy,” Lyudmila Pyshna, and the CEO of the organization, Daria Gerasymchuk, thanked the Czech side for its consistent support of the “Chuyeš? Plus. Plus.” project and noted the importance of international partnership in the development of hearing rehabilitation and recovery programs in Ukraine.
The visit of the President of the Czech Republic confirmed solidarity with Ukraine and a shared vision of the need for long-term support for initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life of veterans.
The public organization “Vidchuy” is a Ukrainian non-profit organization that has been working systematically since 2011 in the field of hearing rehabilitation, support, and socialization of children and adults with hearing impairments, as well as their families.
The organization implements early intervention, hearing rehabilitation, hearing aid fitting, psychosocial support, and educational initiatives aimed at overcoming barriers and stigma against people with hearing impairments. A separate area of work is supporting veterans, in particular, restoring their hearing and accompanying them in the process of returning to active life.
The NGO “Vidchuy” cooperates with state institutions, international organizations, and donors to implement sustainable solutions in the field of rehabilitation and inclusion in Ukraine.
The project “Chuyeš? Plus. Plus.” was implemented by the NGO “Vidchuy” with the support of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Ukraine.
On behalf of the top leadership of the Republic of Azerbaijan, a new batch of humanitarian aid is being urgently sent to Ukraine on Tuesday, January 20, to restore the country’s energy infrastructure.
According to the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Republic of Azerbaijan Yuriy Huseyev, the cargo includes: 11 powerful generators and 5 transformers; more than 27,000 meters of cable and wires; 12 low-voltage panels.
The embassy emphasized that this aid package is a very timely and extremely important contribution to the restoration of the power system and strengthening of Ukraine’s energy security after the Russian terrorist attacks.
Huseyev sincerely thanked President Ilham Aliyev, the entire leadership and people of Azerbaijan for their continued support and solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
“This once again confirms the true strategic partnership and strong friendship between our countries, as well as the readiness to support each other in difficult times and jointly bring a just peace closer,” Huseyev said.
https://interfax.com.ua/news/diplomats/1137962.html
Ukraine is ready to privatize large state-owned companies, in particular to sell 25% of the shares of NAEK Energoatom, but this requires the involvement of financial institutions and the readiness of European partners, said Alexei Sobolev, Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture.
“We must be ready for privatization, but this also requires a serious approach, on the other hand, and certain assistance from financial institutions to finance these transactions. For example, in the case of Energoatom, we are ready to sell a quarter of the company,” he said at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
At the same time, Sobolev noted that large European companies involved in nuclear energy are currently experiencing their own difficulties, which makes it difficult to acquire a stake in Ukrainian assets during or after the war. According to him, the implementation of such projects requires a joint agreement that the European Union will agree to.
The head of the ministry also stressed the need for large-scale domestic financing. To this end, he said, the government plans to focus on fighting corruption, increasing the legal sector of the economy, and collecting more taxes.
“We are expanding the legal economy and collecting more taxes. But now, if you look, Ukraine distributes about 50% of its GDP. So we are earning money and doing our job,” Sobolev added.
According to Serbian Economist, associations of truckers from Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia have announced their intention to start protest actions on January 26, 2026, by blocking freight terminals at border crossings in the direction of Schengen countries. The planned actions were reported by regional media outlets, citing statements from the relevant associations.
The carriers cite the practical application and future tightening of controls in connection with the introduction of the Entry/Exit System (EES) as the reason for their actions. According to them, professional drivers from non-EU countries will effectively be subject to the 90-day rule within a 180-day period for short stays in the Schengen area, just like ordinary tourists. Carriers warn that with the “strict” application of the rules from spring 2026, some drivers may quickly exhaust their stay limit, which will create risks for supply chains and freight traffic between the EU and the Western Balkans region.
The European Commission has stated that it is monitoring the situation and is in contact with its Western Balkan partners, while pointing out that the rules for short stays in Schengen are “clear” and that practical decisions at the external borders are the responsibility of the member states.
EES is an automated EU IT system for registering the entry and exit of non-EU citizens on short-term trips, including recording document and biometric data, with the aim of improving the efficiency of external border controls and detecting overstays. The European Commission has announced that the system is being implemented in stages, with full deployment at all border crossing points planned for April 10, 2026, when electronic records are to finally replace stamps in passports.
If blockades are implemented at freight terminals, queues and delays are possible in a number of EU-Western Balkans directions, which may affect the timing of commercial deliveries in the region and throughout Europe.
Blockade, Bosnia, CARGO, Macedonia, MONTENEGRO, Schengen, SERBIA, Trucking company
