Almost one billion euros have been raised for a global initiative to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense, the German Foreign Ministry said on the occasion of Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock’s 8th visit to Kyiv.
It is stated that the purpose of the foreign minister’s trip is to assure Ukrainians that Germany and Europe will continue to stand firmly on the side of Ukraine and will not stop their support.
“The global initiative to strengthen air defense, which the Foreign Minister recently launched together with Defense Minister Pistorius, should also be seen in this context. So far, almost a billion euros have been raised to provide additional support to Ukrainian air defense,” the statement said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that the work continues. At the same time, the initiative also protects the security of EU countries from Russian aggression.
“Our support is based on a deep belief that Ukraine will win this war… Germany, along with many other countries from all over the world, is firmly on the side of Ukraine. This is something the people of Ukraine can count on in the long run,” Burbock said.
She is also convinced that Ukraine’s place is in the European Union.
“Ukraine’s accession to the EU is a necessary geopolitical consequence of Russia’s aggressive war in violation of international law. Ukraine has made impressive progress and is on the path of reforms, despite Russia’s destructiveness. Now it is important not to weaken our efforts – in judicial reform, the fight against corruption and media freedom,” the minister said.
Source: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/service/laender/ukraine-node/reise-baerbock-ukraine/2657594
The National Bank of Ukraine has revoked the licenses of six non-bank financial institutions and excluded them from the State Register of Financial Organizations based on their applications, the regulator’s website reports.
Thus, due to the loss of the license to provide funds and precious metals on credit, Urgent Lending Service LLC, Simple Loans LLC, Modern Ukrainian Capital LLC, Cool Credit LLC, FC Crystal LLC were excluded from the state register with the loss of the right to provide financial factoring services and Tamga Capital LLC – provision of funds and precious metals on credit, factoring and financial leasing.
In addition, based on their own applications, the NBU approved a change in the scope of the license for the activities of the financial company LLC FC Business Orbit Group. Such financial service as financial leasing was excluded from the license, and the right to provide funds and bank metals on credit and factoring was retained. FC “KIF” LLC was excluded from the license for factoring and financial leasing. In the future, the company will have the right to provide funds and precious metals on credit.
The NBU Committee on Supervision and Regulation of Non-Banking Financial Services Markets made these decisions on May 17, 2024.
Astarta, Ukraine’s largest sugar producer, intends to start selling sugar and dairy products under its own brand in stores without intermediaries in 2024, the company’s founder and CEO Viktor Ivanchyk told Forbes in an interview.
According to him, the agricultural holding plans to sell thousands of tons of sugar this year, and tens of thousands of tons in the following years. Astarta’s dairy products can already be bought in supermarkets under the brands of its established partners Lustdorf, Danone, Yagotynske, Molokiya, Kaniv, and Galychyna.
In addition, in 2021-2023, Astarta quadrupled its investments to almost UAH 1.7 billion. In 2024, the agricultural holding will invest in the production of soy protein concentrate, warehouse logistics, and electricity generation from biogas.
“Investments in Ukraine are the most profitable right now,” Ivanchyk says.
“Astarta is a vertically integrated agro-industrial holding company operating in eight regions of Ukraine. It comprises six sugar factories, agricultural enterprises with a land bank of 220,000 hectares and dairy farms with 22,000 cattle, an oil extraction plant in Globyno (Poltava region), seven elevators and a biogas complex.
In 2023, the agricultural holding reduced its net profit by 5.0% to EUR 61.9 million, and its EBITDA decreased by 6.1% to EUR 145.77 million, while revenue increased by 21.3% to EUR 618.93 million.
The war in Ukraine has displaced some four million people, and while the country’s humanitarian needs are increasing, the amount of humanitarian aid is shrinking, said Caroline Lindholm Billing, representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Ukraine, Voice of America reported.
“There are far fewer resources for humanitarian assistance because the humanitarian needs are actually increasing because of these events. It is the most vulnerable people who will be the ones who will suffer from reduced funding and support,” Billing said.
According to her, the UN humanitarian plan for Ukraine for 2024 is $3.1 billion, including $599 million for the UN Refugee Agency. However, both the global response plan and the UN appeal were only 15 percent funded in the first quarter of this year, compared to 30 percent in the same period last year.
As the conflict drags on, turning into an “ultramarathon,” according to Billing, she added that “monetary and humanitarian assistance – in the form of providing goods and services, assistance with shelter, home repair, psychosocial support” is now “less frequent and less predictable.”
She emphasized the consequences of the Russian offensive in eastern Kharkiv Oblast, which has often left countless civilians without basic necessities such as electricity and water supplies.
Real GDP percentage changes over previous period in 2014-2023
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
Ukraine will take part in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, the Ministry of Youth and Sports said.
“These games have a special meaning for Ukraine, because it is an opportunity to show the world our will and strength of spirit. Ukraine’s slogan at the Olympic Games is “The Will to Win” This time for Ukraine, the Olympics is, first of all, a big screen to the world. We have to remind that Ukraine is, fights and is able to win. The very fact that in Paris perform under the Ukrainian flag is a great demonstration of willpower,” – stated in the press service of the Ministry of sports.
As reported, the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine (NOC) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine have developed recommendations for Ukrainian athletes regarding contacts with Russian and Belarusian athletes at the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris (France).
