On October 6, 2025, the SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) payment system officially began operating in Montenegro, allowing transfers in euros to be made at uniform European rates and with minimal fees.
Ukraine is already actively preparing to join SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area). At the moment, the country is not yet a full member of SEPA, but significant legislative and technical preparations are already underway. Below is what is known today and what the prospects may be.
In June 2025, Ukraine officially announced its intention to join SEPA. At that time, it was announced that the relevant plans and draft laws had been submitted to the Verkhovna Rada. Draft law No. 13233 “On Amendments to the Legislative Acts of Ukraine to Ensure Compliance with European Rules and EPC (European Payments Council) Criteria for Joining SEPA” was submitted. In April 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a package of draft laws aimed at harmonizing Ukrainian legislation with EU requirements in the field of anti-money laundering, ensuring transparency and security of payments — an important step towards officially applying for SEPA.
The European Business Association (EBA Ukraine) publicly supports the bill on Ukraine’s accession to SEPA, but requests revisions to a number of provisions relating to financial monitoring, reporting regulations, and data protection.
The National Bank of Ukraine already has a new generation of payment infrastructure (SEP system, ISO 20022 standard) with 24/7 support for SCT (Credit Transfer) schemes, which is considered part of the preparation for SEPA. There are plans to introduce instant payments in euros.
According to experts, market participants (citizens and businesses) will be able to save €70–100 million annually by reducing fees for euro transfers. For businesses, this means lower costs for cross-border payments, simplified financial flows, and fewer intermediaries. For citizens, it means faster payments in euros within SEPA, more transparent conditions, and, possibly, lower transaction fees.
Key current challenges:
SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) is a single area for cashless payments in euros, including the EU, EEA, Switzerland, the UK, Andorra, Vatican City, San Marino, and now Serbia and Montenegro.
The main goal of SEPA is to simplify and reduce the cost of euro transfers by ensuring the same rules and terms for all participants.
On October 16, Kyiv will host the 11th Kyiv International Economic Forum – a leading platform for dialogue between business, government, society, and the international community. This year’s topic – “Ukraine 2.0: The Power of People” – reflects a key idea: in times of war, the recovery and modernization of Ukraine and global turbulence depend on the specific decisions and actions of people – in business, government, education, and industry.
The Forum will bring together more than 1,000 leaders of Ukrainian and international business, government representatives, investors, and global experts to provide practical answers to critical questions: how to attract investment, scale production, integrate into global supply chains, build energy resilience, and remain competitive amid war and global change.
The program includes 15 panel discussions with over 100 speakers.
Key discussions include:
“Ukraine is enduring a prolonged conflict and significant economic pressure. At the same time, the world itself is changing rapidly through technological revolution, a new arms race, the energy transition, demographic shifts. A return to 2022 is impossible – we face a new reality and new opportunities. That is why at KIEF we will find answers to fundamental questions: what Ukraine of tomorrow will look like, how its economy, industry, and energy sector will evolve. And above all – what kind of people will shape and live in this new Ukraine”, emphasizes Yuriy Pyvovarov, CEO of KIEF.
Among the Forum’s speakers:
International leaders
Business leaders and top managers
“The greatest strength and driving force of the country is its people. Those who defend and rebuild, create and make policy decisions, educate children, invest in entrepreneurship, culture, and new technologies, grow themselves every day and choose to develop Ukraine despite all challenges. KIEF 2025 is a space for decisions and partnerships that will shape the country we will live in tomorrow”, notes Vasyl Khmelnytskyi, KIEF initiator, founder of UFuture holding.
Participants from the state sector – including representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers, the Office of the President of Ukraine, and the Parliament – will also join the discussions.
Registration and program updates are available on the Forum’s official website.
This year, the Organizing Committee will direct part of the ticket sales proceeds to support the Soborna Ukraine Charitable Foundation, which helps the families of defenders who died in the war. You can make additional donations to the Foundation via the provided link.
Kyiv International Economic Forum – is the leading platform that brings together international and Ukrainian representatives of business, government, and society to discuss key economic issues and global trends.
Title Partners: Mastercard, AEQUO, UFuture, Work.ua.
Partners: Sense Bank, EFI Group, umgi, MHP, FUIB, DTEK, PrivatBank, NEQSOL Holding, Biopharma, INTERPIPE, Biosphere Corporation, Ajax Systems, CEO Club Ukraine, Epicentr, OKKO, Done, Metinvest, Kyivstar, Balex, GORO Development.
Program Partner: The American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine (ACC).
Information partner: Interfax-Ukraine.
Business expert: Forbes Ukraine
Title Media Partners: 1+1 media, Starlight Media.
Media Partners: Kyiv Post, LIGA.net, The Kyiv Independent, ФОКУС, Tvoe Misto, RBC-Ukraine, Mind.ua, Delo.ua, УкрІнвестКлаб, Interfax-Ukraine, TAVR Media, Huxley, finance.ua, Мінфін.
Media accreditation form available here.
Contact person for participant registration:
Oleksandra Barabash
Tel: +380 50 880 0010
Email: tickets@forumkyiv.org
Ukraine has announced an international tender for the purchase of a modern multifunctional vessel for Danube ports, which will perform environmental, emergency rescue, and technical tasks.
According to a statement by the State Enterprise “Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority” (USPA), the vessel will be designed to operate in the ports of Izmail, Reni, and Ust-Dunaysk, which are currently key logistics hubs in the south of the country.
According to the technical specifications, the new vessel will be able to collect oil products and debris from the water surface, extinguish fires on ships and port facilities, and perform tugboat and mooring functions, assisting large ships in maneuvering.
The project is being implemented as part of the RELINC (Restoration of Essential Logistics Infrastructure and Network Connectivity) program with the support of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).
Experts note that the new vessel will not only strengthen the port infrastructure, but will also be an important element of the environmental safety of the entire Danube.
Danube ports currently handle more than 40% of all Ukrainian agricultural exports and play a key role in international logistics, especially after the blockade of Black Sea routes.
The Danube is approximately 2,850 km long, the second longest river in Europe after the Volga.
The river basin flows through 10 countries — Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine — and flows into the Black Sea through the Danube Delta, part of which is located in the Odesa region.
According to estimates by the European Commission and the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), the level of pollution in the river remains moderate, but there is an accumulation of heavy metals, pesticides, and microplastics, especially in the tributaries.
The main sources of pollution are industrial discharges, agrochemicals, household waste, and shipping.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that Italy intends to submit a proposal to the United Nations for a general ceasefire during the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
According to ANSA, the initiative will cover all armed conflicts, including the war in Ukraine and hostilities in the Middle East.
“We support the US plan (for Gaza) and, as Pope Leo said, we must never lose hope for peace. Rome and Italy are becoming increasingly important crossroads of peace, development, and growth. In view of the Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, we are submitting a proposal to the UN for an Olympic truce for all wars, including Ukraine and the Middle East,” said the Italian Foreign Minister.
The XXV Winter Olympic Games will be held in Italy from February 6 to 22, 2026.
These are the first Olympic Games to be hosted by two cities at the same time — Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
According to Olympic tradition, host countries often appeal to the UN with an “Olympic Truce” initiative, calling on world powers to cease military action during the Games in the spirit of international unity and peace.
Italy expects its proposal to be considered by the UN General Assembly in the near future.
GAZA STRIP, ITALY, OLYMPICS, truce, UN
Since the start of the full-scale war, the Kryvyi Rih Mining and Metallurgical Plant PJSC ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih (AMKR, Dnipropetrovsk region) has invested $325 million in production, according to Oleg Krykavsky, the company’s director of government relations, at the conference “Ukrainian Export: Through Thorns to the EU,” organized by the publication Ukrainska Pravda.
According to him, AMKR operates in difficult conditions, with electricity prices in Ukraine significantly higher than in Europe, because in Ukraine, companies buy expensive electricity on the market a day in advance, while in a number of European Union countries, long-term contracts are in place and special state programs to support metallurgy are being introduced to stimulate economic growth.
In particular, there are special mechanisms for reducing the cost of electricity on the French market through nuclear power plants, and in Germany, there are plans to allocate €6.5 billion and introduce a number of additional measures, including regulating the upper price limit to €60 per MWh (although industry insists on a price of €50), while in Ukraine, prices are constantly rising and have already reached $180 per MWh. Therefore, the Ukrainian government must also implement similar solutions to preserve industrial potential and jobs.
“Despite the current challenges, we continue to invest: during the full-scale invasion, our investments amounted to more than $325 million. These include repairs, modernization, logistics, preparation for European standards, and future capital projects,” Krykavsky stated.
He added that the key tasks for AMKR remain unchanged: integration into the EU, investment in development, and support for Ukrainian production even in the most difficult times.
ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih is the largest producer of long products in Ukraine. It specializes in the production of long products, in particular, rebar and wire rod. The company has a full production cycle, with production capacities designed for an annual output of over 6 million tons of steel, more than 5 million tons of rolled products, and over 5.5 million tons of pig iron.
ArcelorMittal owns Ukraine’s largest mining and metallurgical complex, ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, and a number of small companies, including ArcelorMittal Beryslav.
In January–September 2025, the state-owned enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” increased its revenue from product sales by 25.4% compared to the same period in 2024, to UAH 21.7 billion, according to the press service of the state-owned enterprise.
According to the report, half of the funds received by Forests of Ukraine were directed to budgets at all levels. The enterprise also increased its tax payments in the current year by almost 70% to UAH 10.7 billion.
“Thanks to the growth in sales revenue, significant savings on purchases, and optimization of expenses, profitability increased from 14.8% to 28.6% compared to last year,” Lisy Ukrainy specified.
In September, the state-owned enterprise harvested the largest volume of timber in the last five months. Harvesting volumes reached 1.07-1.1 million cubic meters per month.
The fulfillment of auction contracts for the supply of timber currently stands at over 90%, and taking into account buyer refusals, 97%. A significant proportion of refusals occur in the frontline, eastern, and northern regions, where the risks of harvesting or delivering products have increased. Forward six-month contracts are almost 100% fulfilled.
The balance of products in the company’s warehouses at the end of the quarter is the lowest since the beginning of the year – 550 thousand cubic meters.
Lesy Ukrainy drew attention to the seasonal increase in demand for firewood for the population, which corresponds to last year’s level. In September, the company harvested over 300,000 cubic meters of firewood. By the end of 2025, it plans to harvest over 900,000 cubic meters more to build up a strategic reserve for the winter period.
“Exchange prices for firewood have risen significantly since last year. For the population and the social sphere, the state-owned enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” maintains social prices at a stable level. The average cost of firewood in Ukraine, as in the previous year, is approximately 1-1.1 thousand hryvnia per cubic meter,” the state-owned enterprise summarized.
