US President Donald Trump said in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos that he expects to sign a law regulating the structure of the cryptocurrency market, which will cover Bitcoin in particular, in the near future. According to him, the administration is striving to ensure that the US remains the “crypto capital of the world.” Trump also recalled that he had previously signed the GENIUS Act and added that Congress is working “very diligently” on a new set of rules for crypto assets, which he “hopes to sign very soon.”
Trump’s statements were accompanied by increased volatility in the cryptocurrency market: according to industry publications, Bitcoin initially fell after the comments from Davos, but then partially recovered and returned to levels around $90,000 as investors assessed the signals regarding regulation and the overall news background.
CRYPTO MARKET, DAVOS, LAW, TRUMP, USA
According to Serbian Economist, Montenegro is tightening the requirements for obtaining and extending temporary residence permits (TRPs) for foreigners on two popular grounds: property ownership and business management. The law on amendments to the Law on Foreigners has been published in Službeni list Crne Gore (No. 3/2026).
In the parliamentary amendments that became part of the final text, the minimum ‘cost’ of a property for a residence permit on the basis of real estate ownership is set at no less than €150,000. The decision of the tax authority (the basis for property tax) is indicated as confirmation, and the rule does not apply to citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland.
It is noteworthy that the government’s initial proposal set a higher threshold of €200,000 and was linked to the tax authority’s assessment; it was this level that had previously sparked debate in the business community and among real estate market participants.
The authorities have reformatted their approach to extending residence permits for entrepreneurs and executive directors. The relevant parliamentary committee noted that the government had made amendments removing the requirement for Montenegrin citizens to be employed as a condition for extension and replaced it with the need to provide proof of paid tax obligations in the minimum amount of €5,000 per year.
The ‘real estate – residence permit’ link remains in place, but there is now a clear price filter that may shift demand to properties priced at €150,000 and above, especially in coastal and central municipalities. At the same time, the risk of imbalance for the north of the country, where prices are lower, was previously highlighted in parliamentary discussions as a sensitive issue for the regions.
For small businesses, the new model looks more predictable: instead of formal hiring, a measurable criterion of ‘taxes not less than €5,000’ is introduced, which potentially lowers barriers for companies without the need to expand their staff, but strengthens fiscal discipline.
Reference: the government explained the package of amendments as necessary for further alignment with EU migration regulations.
Updated rules for producers of grapes and wine products have been in force in Ukraine since January 1, 2026, they are approved by the law “On grapes, wine and wine products” (#3928-ІХ), adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on August 22, 2024. The law introduces updated rules for producers of grapes and wine products, establishes modern requirements for the cultivation of grapes, production, labeling and circulation of wine, and brings the Ukrainian system closer to European standards.
One of the key elements of the document is the protection of geographical indications – classification according to the European model, according to which a clear division of wines by origin into wines with protected appellation of origin (PAO) and wines with protected geographical indication (PGI) is introduced. Clear rules have been established for the official recognition and protection of geographical indications, allowing producers to secure regional brands and guarantee consumers authentic quality.
An important tool for streamlining the industry will be the creation of the Viticulture and Wine Registry: the state is introducing a unified information system where all grape plots, grape production and viticulture products will be registered. This will guarantee full traceability of the product from the vine to the store shelf.
In addition, the said law provides for simplification of conditions for small winemakers, which will stimulate the development of the craft segment and gastrotourism.
At the same time, Ukraine introduces strict requirements to the label: the information that must be available to the consumer is clearly regulated, which prevents falsification of wines.
The law updates the terms and classification of wine products, establishes quality standards and labeling requirements. It defines the procedure for state control and general principles of development of the winegrowing and winemaking industry.
The Verkhovna Rada adopted in the second reading and as a whole draft law No. 13200 ‘On Mentoring,’ which introduces the institution of individual and corporate mentoring for children aged 10 and older and young people from vulnerable groups.
As explained by the relevant committee, mentoring currently covers a very narrow circle of children, and there is a lack of clear mechanisms for organising mentoring – from the selection and training of mentors to support, accounting and control. The new law is intended to expand the circle of mentoring recipients and standardise procedures.
The document provides for two forms of mentoring – individual and corporate, establishes requirements for mentors (in particular, age 21 and Ukrainian citizenship), launches a social service for organising mentoring and defines the entities that organise and control the process. Mechanisms for accounting, monitoring, support and state supervision in the field of mentoring are also being introduced.
According to information from the materials for the second reading, an age threshold of 10 years has been set for children, and the mentoring agreement is to be tripartite: mentor, parents or legal representatives of the child and social service provider. Mentoring is only possible with the consent of the legal representatives and the child themselves.
Commenting on the adoption of the law to Interfax-Ukraine, lawyer Oleksiy Shevchuk emphasised the novelty of the mechanism for older children.
‘The key point is that it is not necessary to establish guardianship or custody for children aged 10 and older,’ he said.
The law will come into force after it is signed by the president and officially published in accordance with the established procedure.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki has signed a law on “aid to Ukrainian citizens” aimed at regulating the future status of Ukrainians living in Poland, his office said.
According to the head of the president’s office, Zbigniew Bogucki, this law is the “last” in the framework of special assistance to Ukrainians. It extends the legal stay of Ukrainian citizens who have fled the war until March 4, 2026, and links the right to receive social assistance to criteria such as employment or children’s education in Polish schools.
“The decisions laid down in this law effectively put an end to tourism from Ukraine at the expense of Polish taxpayers,” Bogucki said at a press conference. He stressed that with the adoption of the law, Poland intends to “move to normal conditions” by applying the same rules to Ukrainian citizens as to other foreigners residing in the republic.
The main provisions of the law
• Extension of the period of legal stay in Poland under temporary protection status until March 4, 2026.
• Restriction of access to benefits: payments will depend on the availability of work or education for children. Exceptions are provided for parents of children with disabilities.
• Strengthening control over the use of the “special assistance” mechanism and clarifying the legal status of Ukrainians in Poland.
• The desire to reform the assistance system so that it eventually approaches a standard migration system.
Lawmakers in the president’s office say that further continuation of this scheme is impossible, and now Ukraine and Poland must move towards more sustainable regulation of the stay, employment, and integration of Ukrainians.
According to media reports, there are at least 1.5 million Ukrainian citizens in Poland in 2025.
Source: http://relocation.com.ua/polish-president-signs-law-extending-aid-to-ukrainians-until-march-4-2026/
Bill No. 13673, which proposes to increase liability for illegal border crossing, does not yet have real enforcement mechanisms, according to Sergey Derevyanko, a lawyer with the Barristers law firm.
“The bill is incomplete, in particular because it is unclear how, for example, those who have left the temporarily occupied territories outside Ukraine and cannot return to their country for various reasons, such as serious illness or caring for a close relative with a disability, should act. According to the bill, such persons must return to Ukraine before the law comes into force or within three months after that, otherwise they will be held criminally liable, which, of course, violates the rights of such persons,” he told Interfax-Ukraine.
Derevyanko also noted that “it is unclear what to do with those people who, possibly without the relevant documents, left Ukraine at the beginning of the war for certain reasons and subsequently did not and do not have the opportunity to return to Ukraine in the near future.”
“This raises a number of questions, in particular, how and to whom these people, while abroad, should report their circumstances, given that changes to the Criminal Code regarding illegal crossing of the state border provide for exemption from criminal liability only on condition that persons who have been outside the country for three months from the moment of crossing the state border have returned to the territory of Ukraine and, before being notified of their suspicion of committing this criminal offense, have voluntarily reported what happened to the law enforcement agency,”
The lawyer also noted that the bill proposes to abolish criminal liability for violating the procedure for moving goods to or from the area of the anti-terrorist operation, “which is logical, since martial law has been introduced in Ukraine and, accordingly, the anti-terrorist operation is not yet being conducted.”
In addition, the bill provides for liability for obstructing the development of border infrastructure (obstructing the construction, development, or destruction/damage of engineering and technical or fortification structures, fences, border signs, border clearings, checkpoints across the state border of Ukraine, etc.).
Derevianko also drew attention to the bill’s provision on liability for conscripts, persons liable for military service, or reservists who violate the period of stay outside Ukraine established by law.
In addition, the bill proposes to increase liability for the illegal transfer of persons across the state border of Ukraine in conditions of martial law or a state of emergency.
“The purpose of the bill is to prevent evasion of conscription for military service through mobilization by ‘fleeing’ abroad, and to provide conscripts with the opportunity to return to Ukraine. If the bill is adopted, after three months, persons of draft age who illegally crossed the state border during martial law and did not return from abroad will be held criminally liable,” he said.
Commenting on what is meant by the “period of stay outside Ukraine under martial law established by law” specified in the bill, Derevyanko explained that “the current legislation does not provide a clear definition, but the terms of stay outside Ukraine for certain categories of citizens during martial law and a state of emergency are defined by Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 57 of January 27, 1995.”
“As an example, according to the aforementioned resolution, athletes included in the national teams of Ukraine may stay abroad continuously for no more than 30 calendar days from the date of crossing the state border, but not less than the duration of the event specified in the Unified Calendar Plan of Physical Culture, Health, Sports Events, and Sports Competitions of Ukraine for the corresponding year,” he said.
“It turns out that, as of today, there are no mechanisms for implementing the bill,” the lawyer concluded.
As reported, the Cabinet of Ministers submitted bill No. 13673 to the Verkhovna Rada, which proposes to increase the liability for illegal crossing of the state border.
It is noted that while in 2021 border guards recorded just over 3,000 illegal crossings of the state border of Ukraine, in 2022 such offenses more than doubled, in 2023 there were almost 10,000, in 2024, there will be more than 20,000, and in the first quarter of this year, almost 4,678 persons liable for military service were detained, which is 10% more than in the same period last year (4,539 persons).
The bill proposes introducing a penalty in the form of a fine ranging from 119,000 to 170,000 hryvnia or imprisonment for up to three years. For conscripts, persons liable for military service, or reservists who have exceeded the permitted period of stay abroad during martial law, a fine of 34,000 to 51,000 hryvnia or imprisonment for a term of three to five years is provided.
A fine of between 17,000 and 85,000 hryvnia or restriction or deprivation of liberty for up to three years is also provided for the deliberate damage of border infrastructure.
At the same time, the bill contains a provision exempting citizens from liability if they return to their homeland within a certain period and voluntarily report to law enforcement agencies with a statement about the criminal offense they have committed.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs noted on its Telegram channel on Friday that the draft law had been prepared by the ministry.
“Today, unfortunately, we are seeing mass attempts to evade mobilization by illegally leaving the country. As practice shows, administrative fines do not deter violators,” the statement said.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs explains that the draft proposes transferring the consideration of administrative cases of illegal border crossing to border guards, because it is faster and more effective.
As clarified to Interfax-Ukraine by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, cases of this category are currently handled by courts, and decisions are often delayed.
