Serbia will allocate EUR2 million to support Ukraine’s energy sector במסגרת a joint project with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Telegram channel “Serbian Economist” reported, citing official data.
According to the report, the Government of the Republic of Serbia and UNDP signed an agreement providing for the financing of the procurement and delivery of high-voltage transformers. These are critical pieces of equipment needed to restore electricity transmission systems and ensure stable power supply.
The funds will be provided under UNDP’s green energy recovery programme for Ukraine. The initiative is aimed at supporting basic services in the regions most affected by the war, including electricity, heating and water supply.
Serbian Ambassador to Ukraine Andon Sapundji said that Belgrade’s contribution is intended to support critical infrastructure and help ensure uninterrupted energy supply for the population.
In turn, UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine Auke Lootsma stressed that Serbia’s assistance will contribute not only to the restoration of damaged facilities, but also to the modernization of Ukraine’s energy system.
According to international estimates, since 2022 Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has suffered extensive destruction. Total losses in the sector are estimated at $88.2 billion, of which about $17.1 billion relates specifically to the power sector, including generation and transmission.
The project is being implemented as part of cooperation between Ukraine and the United Nations in the field of sustainable development and is in line with the strategic goal of transitioning to a more resilient and modern energy system.
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko reported on her meeting with Canada’s Secretary of State for International Development, Randip Sarai, with whom she discussed new steps in cooperation—ranging from funding for energy resilience to joint projects in the areas of housing for veterans and the development of strategic resources.
“I briefed him on the government’s work to prepare for the upcoming heating seasons as part of regional stability plans, as well as on Ukraine’s key needs for energy equipment to develop distributed generation. We highly appreciate Canada’s consistent support in strengthening our state and the recently announced contribution of 20 million Canadian dollars to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund,” she wrote on Telegram.
Svyrydenko thanked Canada for its willingness to cooperate in establishing a veterans’ support fund, which is intended to strengthen the reintegration system for Ukrainians after their service. “We look forward to further cooperation, particularly in sharing expertise in the field of construction of housing for veterans,” she emphasized.
In addition, she said, the two countries discussed cooperation in the field of critical minerals and the development of mineral deposits. The parties agreed to deepen cooperation in geological exploration.
Svyrydenko also invited Canadian partners to become active participants in an international donor conference aimed at mobilizing efforts to restore a new safe confinement at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant following the Russian attack.
According to Fixygen, starting April 1, 2026, cigarette manufacturers and importers in Ukraine will be required to apply a multiplier of 1.1 to the minimum excise tax liability, resulting in the minimum excise tax rising from €82 to €90.2 per 1,000 cigarettes. This was reported by the State Tax Service of Ukraine.
As explained by the tax service, the multiplier is being introduced for the period from April 1 to December 31, 2026, since, according to the results of the 2025 tax declaration, the share of the total excise tax in the weighted average retail price of cigarettes amounted to 58.8%, which is below the 60% threshold established in the Tax Code. The State Tax Service also published the estimated weighted average retail price of cigarettes at 6,537 UAH per 1,000 units.
The base rate of the minimum excise tax liability for 2026 was set by Law No. 4115-IX at 82 euros per 1,000 cigarettes, and the application of a 1.1 multiplier effectively raises it to 90.2 euros. The law also provides for a further increase in this rate to 86 euros in 2027.
According to market experts, this change could lead to a 10% increase in retail prices for cigarettes, and a pack could become approximately 10 UAH more expensive.
According to Serbian Economist, the authorities in Kotor, Montenegro, welcomed a group of 40 children from Ukraine aged 14 to 18, who arrived in the city as part of a humanitarian visit organized with the participation of the municipality and the Ukrainian Embassy in Montenegro.
According to a municipal announcement, the children are staying in Kotor from March 23 to 28, and the Ukrainian association “Dobro djelo” also participated in organizing the trip. At an official reception at the Byzantine Palace, the guests were welcomed by the Mayor of Kotor, Vladimir Jokić; the Ambassador of Ukraine to Montenegro, Oleg Gerasymenko; the Chairman of the Municipal Assembly, Vojin Batuta; Deputy Mayor Stojan Milović; and the Secretary for Culture, Sports, and Community Activities, Tatjana Krieštorac.
As Jokić noted, the host’s mission is to give the children at least a few days of peace and a sense of a normal childhood, interrupted by the war. During the meeting, city representatives emphasized that they want the stay in Kotor to become a bright memory for the Ukrainian teenagers and a time of respite from the realities of war.
The Ukrainian Ambassador to Montenegro thanked the municipality and residents of Kotor for their support, emphasizing the importance of such initiatives for children experiencing the consequences of war.
A packed program was prepared for the guests, including visits to Kotor’s museums, a boat ride around the bay, a trip to Perast, a tour of St. Tryphon’s Cathedral, a trip to Plavi Horizonti, a walk along the city’s fortress walls, as well as sports and other group activities.
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The Norwegian government is tightening its rules regarding refugees from Ukraine: men aged 18 to 60, with some exceptions, will no longer be granted temporary protection in the country; this change will take effect shortly (Relocation).
“Since the fall of 2025, too many people have arrived in Norway, especially young men. Norway has already accepted the largest number of Ukrainians in Scandinavia, and Norwegian municipalities are reporting strain on the service delivery system and a shortage of housing. “That is why we are tightening the restrictions,” said Minister of Justice and Emergency Situations Astrid Hansen. “We also consider it important that as many people as possible remain in Ukraine to join the defense effort and support the functioning of Ukrainian society,” she added.
The change in regulations will mean that men aged 18 to 60 will no longer be covered by the temporary collective protection mechanism, under which temporary residence permits are granted based on a group assessment. Those applying for asylum will have their applications processed in the usual manner.
The government has provided for certain exceptions to these stricter requirements.
“First, they will apply only to new applicants and will not affect those who already have temporary collective protection in Norway. The stricter requirements will also not apply to minors or men over 60 years of age, men who have documented proof of exemption from military service or are clearly unable to perform it, or individuals evacuated under the medevac program. An exception is also made for men who are the sole caregivers for accompanying children or children in Norway. This applies only to the child’s father or another close family member,” the government statement noted.
According to The Serbian Economist, Serbia has aligned itself with two European Union resolutions that extend existing restrictive measures related to the war in Ukraine.
The first EU resolution concerns measures against Russia’s actions regarding the occupied regions of Ukraine that are not under Kyiv’s control. Essentially, this is an extension of the special sanctions regime for another year—until February 24, 2027. Serbia supported this extension along with a number of other EU candidate countries and partners.
The second decision concerns sanctions against specific individuals, companies, and organizations in connection with the situation in Ukraine. These are not “general sanctions against Russia as a whole,” but rather an extension of the list of targeted restrictions on specific individuals until March 6, 2027.
The wording stating that Serbia “will ensure the alignment of its national policy” with this decision means the following: Belgrade has declared that it will act in line with EU policy on these two specific issues. The European Union separately noted and welcomed Serbia’s alignment in official statements.
This does not mean that Serbia has fully aligned itself with the entire EU sanctions package against Moscow. It concerns specifically these two separate decisions, not full alignment with Brussels on sanctions.
For Serbia, this is yet another example of partial foreign policy alignment with Brussels on issues related to Ukraine and Russia.
Serbia is a candidate country for EU membership and is regularly under close scrutiny by Brussels regarding the alignment of its foreign and sanctions policies with European decisions. Against this backdrop, such steps by Belgrade are usually seen as a signal of its willingness to maintain working-level coordination with the EU on specific international issues, primarily those related to the Ukrainian agenda.
