Temporary traffic restrictions will be in place in central Kiev on Thursday, September 11, due to security measures involving foreign delegations, First Deputy Head of the Patrol Police Department Oleksiy Biloshitsky said on Telegram.
“We ask for your understanding and to take this into account when planning your day,” he wrote.
Source: https://interfax.com.ua/
In January-August 2025, Ukraine increased imports of aluminum and aluminum products by 17.6% to $344.293 million (in August – $44.034 million).
Aluminum exports increased by 19.2% to $98.922 million (in August – $13.215 million).
Aluminum is widely used as a structural material. The main advantages of aluminum are its lightness, malleability, corrosion resistance, high thermal conductivity, and the non-toxicity of its compounds.
In particular, these properties have made aluminum extremely popular in the manufacture of kitchen utensils, aluminum foil in the food industry, and for packaging. The first three properties have made aluminum the main raw material in the aviation and aerospace industries (recently, it has been replaced by composite materials, primarily carbon fiber). After construction and packaging production—aluminum cans and foil—the largest consumer of metal is the energy industry.
Ukrainians have the most positive attitude toward Germany, the UK, Norway, and France, while Hungary, China, Iraq, and Serbia are among the countries with the worst ratings. This is evidenced by the results of a study conducted by Active Group and the Experts Club analytical center at the end of August.
“We conducted a representative survey of 800 respondents at the end of August, taking into account gender, age, and region of residence. The margin of error does not exceed 3.5%. This is not the first study of this type, but this time we selected 50 countries based on economic criteria – we asked about the countries with which Ukraine trades the most,” said sociologist and founder of Active Group Andriy Yeremenko at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Tuesday.
According to him, the study showed that public opinion is clearly divided between Western countries and countries outside the West.
“Ukrainians most often associate the achievement of peace with the European Union – 42% of respondents believe this. The United States is supported by almost 26% of respondents, and the United Kingdom by 13%. Other large countries, such as China, India, and Brazil, are not really considered to be contributing to a peaceful settlement in Ukraine,” Yeremenko emphasized.
Alexander Pozniy, director of the research company Active Group, added that in economic terms, Ukraine’s key partners are China, Poland, Germany, Turkey, and the United States.
“At the same time, attitudes toward them vary greatly. For example, more than 76% of Ukrainians have a positive attitude toward Germany, while only 12% have a positive attitude toward China, and 40% have a negative attitude. The case of Hungary is even more critical, with 16% having a positive attitude and 55% having a negative attitude,” he said.
Maksym Urakyn, founder of Experts Club and deputy director general of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, drew attention to economic imbalances in Ukraine’s trade with its leading partners.
“In the first half of 2025, Ukraine’s foreign trade deficit amounted to $18.5 billion, while in 2024 it was $12.4 billion. In other words, we have a significant deterioration. In particular, the negative balance exceeded $7 billion in trade with China alone, $2 billion with Germany, over $1 billion with Poland, and about $2 billion with the United States,” the expert emphasized.
He clarified that Ukraine remains a powerful exporter of agricultural products—grains, oilseeds, metals—while imports from the EU and China consist mainly of machinery, equipment, transport, electronics, and chemicals.
“This once again confirms the need for profound structural changes in the economy and diversification of foreign economic relations. We cannot continue to depend on a narrow circle of suppliers,” Urakin noted.
At the same time, according to the expert, sociological data demonstrate a certain paradox.
“The most economically advantageous partners for us are Egypt, Spain, Moldova, Algeria, Lebanon, and Iraq. But Ukrainians’ attitude toward most of these countries is neutral or even negative. This indicates that society forms its assessments not on the basis of economic benefits, but mainly on the basis of political statements or events,” he added.
Urakin concluded that this discrepancy between the economy and public opinion could have long-term consequences for Ukraine’s foreign policy.
“The representative offices of foreign countries that are Ukraine’s trading partners should pay more attention to working with Ukrainian society, holding cultural events, supporting humanitarian projects, and forming a positive image. Otherwise, we will continue to have a situation where the country is an important trading partner, but at the same time is perceived negatively by the majority of citizens,” emphasized the founder of Experts Club.
Learn more about the study
Source: https://interfax.com.ua/news/press-conference/1103619.html
ACTIVE GROUP, EXPERTS CLUB, INTERNATIONAL TRADE, Pozniy, PUBLIC OPINION, SOCIOLOGY, SURVEY, URAKIN, Єременко
Ukraine received another tranche of macro-financial assistance from the European Union in the amount of EUR1 billion under the ERA Loans program, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said
“This tranche is financed from the proceeds of frozen assets of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. This is more than aid — it is a clear signal: Europe is resolutely strengthening Ukraine’s defense and resilience against massive missile attacks and attempts at destabilization,” Svyrydenko wrote on Telegram on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Finance reminded that a total of EUR 10 billion has already been raised from the European Union as part of the ERA initiative, and Ukraine is expected to receive the remaining EUR 8.1 billion from the EU in installments by the end of 2025.
The prime minister thanked European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis for their leadership and steadfastness.
“These funds mean saved lives, rebuilt cities, and a secure European future for Ukraine,” she emphasized.
The ERA provides for $50 billion to be allocated to Ukraine, which will be secured by future revenues from Russia’s frozen assets. The EU’s contribution amounts to EUR18.1 billion (EUR20 billion).
In March this year, European Commissioner for Economy Valdis Dombrovskis announced that the EU plans to allocate EUR 30.5 billion to Ukraine this year, including EUR 12.5 billion under the Ukraine Facility program and EUR 18 billion under the ERA mechanism: the first EUR 3 billion was allocated in January, EUR 1 billion per month in March-November, and EUR 6 billion in December.
The IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program provides for Ukraine to receive $39.4 billion under the ERA mechanism this year, following $1 billion last year.
According to the Ministry of Finance, since February 2022, the European Union has been the largest provider of direct budgetary assistance to Ukraine – EUR 58.5 billion for priority state budget expenditures, including over EUR 16.5 billion for the first eight months of 2025.
Within the framework of cooperation with the Howard Buffett Foundation, Ukrzaliznytsia JSC has signed contracts for almost $6 mln for the purchase of modern industrial equipment, said the head of the company’s Repair and Manufacturing division, Yevhen Shramko, in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
The purchase includes 22 units of lathes and milling machines, thermal units and other equipment necessary for the production of critical components previously imported from abroad.
Over the past seven days, 2,651 newborns have been officially registered in Ukraine.
According to the Telegram channel of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, 1,347 of the newborns are boys and 1,304 are girls.
As reported, last week 2,940 newborns were registered in Ukraine, and the week before that, 2,870.
In 2024, 176,679 babies were born in Ukraine, which is an average of less than 3,400 per week. The birth rate in Ukraine in 2024 was 5.8% lower than in 2023, when 187,300 children were born.
