Cyprus will make every effort to open negotiation clusters with Ukraine during its presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2026. This was stated by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Cyprus to Ukraine, Michalis Firillas, during a meeting with a representative of Interfax-Ukraine.
“Accession to the European Union provides indirect security: economic, social, in terms of democratic norms and values, as well as freedoms for citizens. We will do everything possible during our presidency to open negotiations with Ukraine on clusters of European legislation,” the diplomat said.
Firillas stressed that Cyprus is working closely on this issue with Denmark and Poland, as well as with European institutions in Brussels. “We want to see progress – this is the common conclusion that unites our Polish and Danish colleagues and all relevant EU structures,” he said.
The ambassador also stressed that Cyprus clearly supports the independence, territorial integrity, sovereignty of Ukraine and its European perspective.
Commenting on the decision-making process in the EU, Firilas stressed the importance of preserving the principle of unanimity. “This is the position of many small countries. It is one of the key elements of the political process in Europe – not to hold anyone hostage, but as a mechanism for expressing national interests,” he added.
From July 1, 2025, Denmark will take over the presidency of the EU Council from Poland; it will last until the end of the year. The presidency will then pass to Cyprus.
The leader of the European Parliament’s largest party, the European People’s Party (EPP), Manfred Weber, has announced the initiation of a procedure to expel Serbian ruling SNS party of Aleksandar Vucic from the right-wing conservative party group. This is reported by Euractiv.
It is reported that Weber’s initiative is related to the ongoing anti-government protests in Serbia, provoked by the tragic collapse of the canopy at the train station in November 2024. Sixteen people died as a result.
Symbolically, the SNS party was an associate member of the EPP, which means establishing cross-party ties with limited rights and without full membership. Serbia, meanwhile, remains a candidate country for EU accession.
After announcing the procedure, Weber emphasized: “The EPP is not turning a blind eye to what is happening in Serbia.”
https://t.me/relocationrs/1394
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.
According to a special Eurobarometer survey published on September 2, 2025, 56% of EU citizens support further enlargement of the Union, i.e., the admission of new countries to the EU.
Support is particularly high among young people: among respondents aged 15 to 39, about two-thirds believe that new countries should join the EU as soon as they meet the necessary conditions.
Also, 56% believe that their own country will benefit from enlargement; at the same time, 67% admit that they are not sufficiently informed about enlargement policy.
The survey was conducted as part of the Special Eurobarometer and Perception Surveys commissioned by the European Commission. Thousands of respondents in EU countries and candidate countries were surveyed using a standardized face-to-face or online questionnaire, depending on the country. The aim was to gauge the level of support for enlargement, perceptions of the EU, and the degree of awareness among citizens.
The corn market is gradually shifting its focus to the new harvest, last year’s grain has almost lost its liquidity, and there are practically no real deals with it, At the same time, Europe is showing steady interest in
Ukrainian products, and demand from importers remains high, according to the analytical cooperative “Pusk,” created within the framework of the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council (VAR).
“The new corn harvest is valued on the market in a wide range of $197-203 per ton. Some traders are already offering higher prices — $205-206 on a CPT-port basis with deliveries in October-November. Demand from importers is active, particularly from Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands, with deliveries in November-December. The EU is facing serious yield problems. In France, the first threshing showed only 3-4 tons/ha. Other corn producers — Romania, Hungary, and Poland — are facing similar difficulties, forcing the EU to increase imports from the projected 18-19 million tons to 22-23 million tons, and Ukraine looks to be a key supplier here,” analysts noted.
According to their information, Ukrainian exporters have already sold about 4 million tons of the new harvest to importers with deliveries in November-December. However, there may be a shortage on the market due to weather conditions, which will further stimulate the growth of purchase prices.
“Traders may have to raise prices, but no significant growth is expected. One of the determining factors will be the progress of the harvesting campaign. Due to the delay in vegetation, the first significant batches of corn from the center and north will arrive only in the second half of October. We can predict indicative prices of $220 CPT port in October. However, during this period, American corn will actively enter the market. Its volume will significantly exceed demand, which will put serious pressure on prices in October-December. Therefore, in November-January, the market is likely to stabilize at $220-230 CPT port per ton, which is in line with seasonal patterns,” Pusk concluded.
In July 2025, Express Insurance settled insurance claims under CASCO contracts in Bulgaria, Spain, Italy, Latvia, Moldova, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, France, and the Czech Republic.
According to the company’s website, the total amount of payments reached UAH 1.883 million.
It should be noted that in most cases, these were traffic accidents or damage caused by unlawful actions of third parties.
For example, a nighttime encounter with a wild moose while traveling between settlements in Poland resulted in damage to the hood, front bumper, right front door, mirror, windshield, and other elements of the front of the car. The company paid out UAH 1.1 million.
In addition, the company paid UAH 271,800 for damage to the windshields of customers traveling on the roads of Spain, Italy, Germany, and Poland caused by stones flying out from under the wheels of other cars.
While driving out of one of the streets in the old part of Barcelona, a customer accidentally hit a fence and a curb, damaging the front bumper, right rear fender, and plastic trim under the right sill. The CASCO payment amounted to over UAH 40,000.
Express Insurance was founded in 2008. It is part of the UkrAVTO group of companies. It specializes in car insurance. The consistently high speed of settlement of claims at the insurance company is ensured by optimal interaction with partner service stations.
