Eight earthquakes were recorded in neighboring Romania over four days, according to Romania’s National Institute for Earth Physics Research and Development (INCDFP).
According to the INCDFP, the last three tremors occurred on the night of October 25-26, with an interval of just under an hour. The tremors were recorded in the Vrancea seismic zone, one of the most active earthquake-prone areas in Romania.
The Vrancea seismic zone is located at a depth of about 100 km, so its earthquakes are felt over a large area. In particular, according to a number of reports, the tremors could be felt in Moldova, Bulgaria, Serbia, and southern Ukraine, including the area around the city of Odessa.
The Vrancea zone is known as one of the most dangerous intra-continental seismic areas in Europe, with deep tremors occurring there with magnitudes above 7.0. In such conditions, regional monitoring authorities will intensify their observation and inform the population about the likelihood of repeated events.
The Romanian government plans to introduce a program called “golden investor visa” (Residency by Investment). According to the article, it will be possible to obtain a residence permit by investing €400,000 or more in the country’s economy. Applicants will have to confirm the legality of the origin of the funds, not be on any sanctions lists, and not pose a threat to national security, the publication reports.
Thus, with the introduction of this program, Romania will join the number of European countries that offer foreign investors a simplified procedure for obtaining a residence permit through investment.
What is a “golden visa” (Residency by Investment)?
This is a type of immigration program where a foreigner is granted a residence permit or residency in exchange for significant investments in the host country — for example, purchasing real estate, contributing to a fund, starting a business, etc.
In terms of total trade volume, Ukraine cooperates most closely with China, Poland, and Germany. These countries form the basis of the state’s foreign economic relations, exerting a critical influence on imports and exports.
China remains the leader with a total trade volume of $8.99 billion. Poland ranks second with $6.04 billion, while Germany and Turkey are almost equal with $4.28 billion and $4.25 billion, respectively. The United States ranks fifth with $2.86 billion.
The top 10 also includes Italy ($2.38 billion), the Czech Republic ($1.64 billion), Bulgaria ($1.54 billion), Hungary ($1.53 billion), and Romania ($1.50 billion).
“The top ten partners form the basis of Ukraine’s foreign trade balance. China and the EU countries account for the largest volumes of trade, but it is important to take into account the significant negative balance in relations with these countries,” said Maksim Urakin, founder of Experts Club and economist.
He added that although the large volume of trade indicates Ukraine’s integration into global supply chains, dependence on imports from China and Europe creates strategic risks.
“Poland and Germany are key hubs for Ukrainian exports, but at the same time they are significant sources of imports. Therefore, it is critically important to balance trade flows, preserving positive sectors such as agriculture and metallurgy, and reducing dependence on critical imports,” Urakin noted.
BULGARIA, CHINA, CZECH REPUBLIC, ECONOMY, EXPERTS CLUB, FOREIGN TRADE, GERMANY, HUNGARY, ITALY, POLAND, ROMANIA, TURKEY, UKRAINE, USA, МАКСИМ УРАКИН
According to the results of the first half of 2025, Poland remains Ukraine’s main trading partner in terms of export volumes. According to research by Active Group and Experts Club, exports to Poland amounted to US$2.45 billion.
Turkey ranks second with USD 1.71 billion, and Italy ranks third with USD 1.17 billion. Other major partners include: Germany ($1.09 billion), Spain ($976 million), the Netherlands ($919 million), China ($847 million), Egypt ($776 million), Romania ($679 million), and Hungary ($652 million).
“The structure of Ukraine’s exports shows a clear focus on European Union countries. Poland, Italy, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands together account for more than half of total exports. This indicates Ukraine’s strategic integration into the European economic space,” emphasized Maksim Urakin, founder of Experts Club and economist.
He also noted that Turkey remains a critically important partner for Ukrainian agricultural and metallurgical exports, while China and Egypt are key markets for agricultural products, particularly grains.
“The presence of trading partners such as Egypt and China diversifies Ukrainian exports,” Urakin added.
CHINA, ECONOMY, EGYPT, EXPERTS CLUB, EXPORTS, GERMANY, HUNGARY, ITALY, POLAND, ROMANIA, TRADE, TURKEY, UKRAINE, МАКСИМ УРАКИН
The attitude of Ukrainians towards Romania is predominantly positive, although a significant proportion of respondents are neutral. This is evidenced by the results of an all-Ukrainian survey conducted by Active Group in cooperation with the Experts Club information and analytical center in August 2025.
According to the survey, 46.3% of Ukrainians have a positive attitude towards Romania (33.7% – mostly positive, 12.7% – completely positive). A negative attitude was expressed by 7.0% of respondents (6.0% – mostly negative, 1.0% – completely negative). Another 44.3% of citizens are neutral, and 2.7% admitted that they do not know enough about this country.
“For Ukraine, Romania is not only a neighbor and a member of the EU and NATO, but also an important trading partner. In the first half of 2025, the volume of bilateral trade exceeded $1.49 billion, of which exports from Ukraine amounted to more than $679 million and imports from Romania – almost $820 million. The negative balance of $140 million indicates that economic ties remain active and have the potential for further development,” said Maksym Urakin, founder of Experts Club.
In his turn, Oleksandr Poznyi, co-founder of Active Group, noted that the sociological results demonstrate stability in public perception.
“More than a third of Ukrainians rate Romania positively, and almost half are neutral. This means that the negative segment remains relatively small, and thus Romania is viewed by Ukrainians as a neighbor with whom they can maintain constructive relations,” he added.
The survey is part of a broader study of international sympathies and antipathies of Ukrainians in the current geopolitical environment.
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ACTIVE GROUP, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, Posniy, ROMANIA, SOCIOLOGY, TRADE, URAKIN
Consulting firm Deloitte has released the 14th edition of its Property Index 2025 report on European housing markets. The study covers 28 countries. Ukraine was not included in this study.
The highest average mortgage rates are in Hungary (9.35%), Poland (7.67%), and Romania (6.89%). Deloitte
The lowest are in Bulgaria (2.83%), Croatia (2.86%), and Turkey (3.01%).
The average rate in Europe is 4.36%, which is slightly lower than last year and reflects the gradual easing of monetary policy in a number of countries.
Deloitte notes that against the backdrop of a “bottleneck” with new projects and sustained demand, the rental segment is strengthening (rates are rising not only in capital cities but also in regional centers). At the same time, high rates and regulatory lags in permits continue to put pressure on property affordability, especially in large agglomerations.
Deloitte Property Index 2025 — a comparative study of European housing markets: prices for new buildings, affordability (in years of gross salary for a 70 m² apartment), rental dynamics, and mortgage rates. Key findings and figures are available on the Deloitte Property Index 2025 report page.
