The path to the EU, border closures, changes in export structures, and new customs regulations—this is the reality in which “the art of defending” one’s own trade interests has become a key skill for business survival. How are the rules of the game changing for Ukrainian businesses in global markets? What can be expected from trade with the EU in the coming years? And how can businesses protect their interests amid increasingly fierce competition and the emergence of new barriers?
Interfax-Ukraine, in partnership with the law firm “Ilyashev & Partners,” DONE®, and the publishing house “Legal Practice,” invites you to discuss the most pressing issues in international trade at the conference “Trade Wars: The Art of Defense”.
Program and registration: https://tradewar2026.ticketforevent.com
Date: May 20, 2026.
Time: 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (registration begins at 9:30 a.m.).
Venue: Kyiv (the venue will be communicated to registered participants the day before the event)
Owners, top managers, and heads of legal and foreign economic departments of major Ukrainian and international companies are invited to participate.
Participation in the event is free of charge, subject to additional confirmation of registration from the organizers. Space is limited. The organizers reserve the right to refuse registration if the capacity limit is reached.
The international medical conference Breast Weekend 3.0 took place in Uzhhorod, focusing on modern approaches in breast surgery—including aesthetic plastic surgery, reconstructive surgery, and breast oncology.
The conference was opened by Uzhhorod Mayor Bohdan Andriyiv, who emphasized the importance of such events for the development of the city and region as a modern medical and professional hub.
The conference brought together Ukrainian and international specialists and served as a platform for interdisciplinary discussion of modern treatment methods, recovery, and aesthetic outcomes in patient care.
According to the organizers, a key feature of the event is the combination of oncological, reconstructive, and aesthetic approaches, which aligns with current global practice.
“Today, breast cancer treatment is a team effort. Oncology, reconstructive, and aesthetic surgery cannot exist in isolation. It is their combination that allows us to achieve the best results for the patient—both medical and aesthetic,” said the conference’s main organizer and founder of the Lita Plus clinic, Serhiy Derbak.
This year, the conference featured international speakers from the Czech Republic, Germany, and Moldova, who traveled to Ukraine to exchange clinical experience and discuss modern approaches in breast surgery.
According to the organizers, the participation of European experts is a crucial component of the industry’s development, as it allows for the integration of Ukrainian experience into an international context and the formation of a shared professional environment.
The conference program devoted special attention to new trends in breast surgery. In particular, plastic surgeon Oleksandr Karpinsky presented the concept of “tissue preservation”—an approach that involves preserving tissues and utilizing natural anatomical structures during surgery.
“Today we are living in a period of changing philosophy in plastic surgery. The current trend is minimal trauma. We work with anatomy while preserving tissues, which allows us to significantly shorten the recovery period and at the same time achieve stable results. This is a new stage in the development of breast surgery,” — noted Karpinsky.
According to him, this approach is already actively used abroad in aesthetic surgery and will shape the development of the field in the coming years.
Uzhhorod Mayor Bohdan Andriyiv emphasized the importance of hosting international medical events for the region’s development.
“Hosting such conferences is a key factor in the development of the city and the region. It fosters a professional environment, attracts international partners, and shapes Uzhhorod’s image as a platform for medical advancement and professional exchange,” he noted.
The conference was held with the support of the Ukrainian Association of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Dermatological Aesthetic Surgery and Oncoplastic Mammology (UPRADAS) and included a charitable component—a portion of the proceeds was directed toward supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The organizers note that Breast Weekend 3.0 marked another step in building a professional community that advances modern approaches to breast surgery and interdisciplinary collaboration in Ukraine.
On February 27, a key event of the year for the industrial sector will take place – the annual Conference of Eco-Industrial Parks (EIP) of Ukraine.
The conference will be held as part of the GEIPP-II Ukraine project, which is being implemented by UNIDO with the support of the Swiss Government through SECO in partnership with the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture of Ukraine.
The main theme of the conference is how to attract capital for the development of EIPs and make them the foundation of the post-war economy.
The event will also discuss the following issues:
– Raising funds for modernization: financial instruments and investment potential.
– ESG standards as a passport to EU markets.
– Economy and efficiency: real cases of park residents.
– State support and political incentives.
Date: February 27, 2026
Time: 08:30–19:30
Location: Kyiv (the exact location will be announced after registration confirmation)
Registration is open until February 24, 2026 (until 12:00): https://forms.gle/imbeRyNrRWYGkQsV8
Media accreditation: https://forms.gle/UncwuV222ZgGKYhNA
Interfax-Ukraine – information partner
On December 20, 2025, Uzhhorod will host one of the key events of the year in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery — the “Live Surgery Transcarpathian: Difficult Cases 2.0” conference.
The organizer is the plastic surgery clinic Lita Plus, with the support of UPRADAS — Ukrainian Plastic Reconstructive Aesthetic Dermatosurgeons Association.
The event will bring together more than 100 plastic and reconstructive surgeons, dermatologists, and dermatosurgeons from all over Ukraine to share practical experience, discuss complex clinical cases, and present new approaches to treatment.
During the conference, cases of reconstructive surgery performed by the military will be discussed.
In addition to the main scientific program, participants can expect discussion panels, practical case studies, and professional networking.
For the second time, the Difficult Cases 2.0 conference will be a unique platform for lively professional dialogue, where more than 20 speakers will analyze clinical cases from their own practice, complex cases, and solutions.
“We have created a format where doctors can learn from other doctors. This is what shapes the new quality of medicine — when the professional environment does not compete, but develops together,” notes Sergey Derbak, founder of the Lita Plus clinic and president of the UPRADAS association.
Speakers at the event include Sergey Derbak, Ruslan Gumenny, Alexander Karpinsky, Ilya Kirichenko, Alexander Turkevich, Sergey Romanyuk, Vladimir Shapovaluk, Evgeny Simulik, Denis Pominchuk, Alexander Pasechnik, Vasily Pasechnik, Anna Barinova, Irina Shmygina, and other leading surgeons of Ukraine.
Traditionally, the event will take place in Uzhhorod, at the Camelot hotel complex.
“Transcarpathia is becoming an important hub for the development of medical education. It is a place that combines tranquility, focus, and community — exactly what is needed for professional growth,” comments Alexander Karpinsky, plastic surgeon at the Lita Plus clinic.
The conference is supported by the UPRADAS association, which brings together plastic, reconstructive, aesthetic, and dermatological surgeons from Ukraine.
The association promotes the development of postgraduate education, the improvement of surgical standards, and the integration of Ukrainian doctors into the international professional community.
“We support events that not only shape knowledge but also the culture of communication between specialists. Difficult Cases is exactly the format that changes the approach to medical education,” notes Sergey Derbak.
In addition to its educational value, the conference has a charitable mission — all funds raised will be used to purchase vehicles and equipment for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Traditionally, the event will include a gala evening with a charity auction, the proceeds of which will also go to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
A separate category of participation is open to medical university students and interns.
This is a unique opportunity to see the work of leading surgeons, communicate with mentors, and take the first steps in professional development.
Date: December 20, 2025
Venue: Camelot Hotel Complex, Uzhhorod
Start time: 9:00 a.m.
Online registration and program details: https://livesurgery-transcarpathian.com
Media accreditation: +38 050 172 35 00
Contact person: Kira Skrypnyk, Head of PR Department, Lita Plus Clinic — pr@litaplus.com.
Interfax-Ukraine is the information partner of the conference
Ukraine will need at least $120 billion next year if the war unleashed by Russia continues, in order to hold the front line and minimize the number of lives lost among its defenders, Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal reiterated his July assessment at the annual YES conference “How to End the War,” organized by the Pinchuk Foundation in Kyiv on September 12-13.
“If the war ends, we will need a slightly smaller amount to simply keep our army in good shape in case of secondary aggression from the Russian side,” Shmyhal said.
“The economics of war show that if we spend less money than Russia, then we start paying with our territories and, most importantly, with our lives. Therefore, we need to attract all the necessary resources, all the necessary money,” he stressed.
The defense minister acknowledged that after three and a half years, many taxpayers are exhausted from spending such a huge amount of money, so he spoke in favor of using frozen Russian assets until Russia compensates for all the expenses that Ukraine and all countries have incurred during this wartime.
In his opinion, such a solution can be found even without direct confiscation, because the legal complexity of this procedure is understandable.
“We need to have a stable source of funding to finance Ukraine’s defense and reconstruction. Therefore, the number one issue for all of us is to find a political and legal solution for the use of frozen Russian assets,” Shmygal said.
He highlighted three main priorities: supplying the Defense Forces with more FPV drones, more robotic systems, and artillery shells, including long-range ones; sky defense—both with Patriots against ballistic missiles and with interceptor drones against drones; long-range weapons—Ukrainian-made drones and missiles.
“If our Western partners provide us with more deep strike systems and equipment, we will be absolutely delighted. But we can produce our own deep strike weapons, and again, we need funding,” the defense minister said.
He explained that such long-range strikes put the most pressure on the Russian economy and society, as well as directly on Putin, because they allow for the destruction of their oil refineries and military production infrastructure.
“We need to produce more, we need to continue carpet bombing operations, when all the planes in the Moscow region are grounded day after day. This is very inconvenient for the Moscow elite, and they are directly telling Putin: let’s stop this war because we can’t fly,” Shmygal added.
According to him, he conveys these needs during meetings in the Rammstein format.
In addition, the defense minister announced the need to create a so-called Kill Zone, which is currently being formed on the front line, to prevent aggression from recurring in the future. “These are lines of drones covering 10, 15, or even 30 km of territory,” he explained.
According to estimates by Alexander Parashchiy, head of the analytical department at investment company Concorde Capital, defense and security spending in 2024 amounted to approximately $95 billion, while this year he predicted it would grow to approximately $100-105 billion. Approximately half of this amount comes from the budget, while the other half has been provided by partners until recently.
In addition, Ukraine attracts about $40 billion in external financial assistance annually for non-military purposes in order to be able to finance military needs from the budget. For next year, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko has estimated the need for external financing of the state budget deficit at $45 billion, of which EUR16 billion has not yet been secured.
CONFERENCE, SHMYHAL, WAR, ЄС
The upcoming Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC-2025) on July 10-11 this year in Rome will be attended by over two thousand participants, including almost 100 different delegations and 700 enterprises, said Italy’s Special Envoy for Ukraine Recovery Davide La Cecilia.
He pointed out at the Ukrainian House on the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday that URC-2025 will feature conferences focusing on four areas: business, human capital, regional development and European integration.
According to La Cecilia, the conference will be held on two levels: the first will be organized panel discussions, while the second will be a recovery forum and a business fair.
As the Ambassador informed, the latter will feature 120 stalls, including 30 presented by Ukrainian companies, 30 by Italian companies and another 30 by international companies.
Cecilia noted that the Italian business community has expressed an active desire to participate in the Conference, and at the moment the process of consultations with them has started.
The Ambassador also said that in preparation for URC-2025 on March 5 in Milan will be held an event in cooperation with the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which will be attended by a hundred Ukrainian companies, a hundred Italian and a hundred representatives of the international community. “We will talk about housing construction, about energy,” the special envoy added.
Cecilia also indicated that further on April 2, Kiev will host a civil society event, and the next event is scheduled for May 10 in Verona.
