The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is building a portfolio of private investments in renewable energy and battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Ukraine for 2026, with a total capacity of over 1 GW.
“The EBRD is building a portfolio for 2026 and plans to support such transactions as early as this year,” the EBRD’s Ukraine Facebook page reported on March 24.
Specifically, the EBRD plans to attract investors to projects involving the construction of approximately 570 MW of wind power plants, 240 MW of solar generation, and 230 MW of storage systems.
“All these projects are private investments. As Arvid Türkner, the EBRD’s Head of Operations in Ukraine and Moldova, emphasizes, private sector participation is critical,” the statement noted.
As the EBRD emphasized, this is precisely why RAMP UP was created—a joint initiative of the EBRD and the World Bank that stabilizes revenues from renewable energy and unlocks large-scale private investment.
“The goal is to accelerate the sector so that Ukraine’s potential can be harnessed as soon as conditions improve. The first auctions are expected in 2026,” the bank states.
Turkey is streamlining certain administrative procedures for foreign investors participating in the citizenship-by-investment program, while the basic eligibility requirements for the program remain unchanged. The most popular option still involves purchasing real estate worth at least $400,000 with a commitment not to sell the property for three years; alternative routes include a bank deposit, the purchase of government bonds, stock market investments, or fixed capital investments starting at $500,000.
According to industry consultants, in 2026 the program continues to operate without requiring long-term residence in the country or a language exam, and the total processing time for citizenship is typically about six months after investment confirmation. Market participants cite clearer and more centralized coordination of procedures through investment and immigration authorities as one of the practical simplifications, which reduces some of the bureaucratic burden on applicants.
Interest in the Turkish program remains steady amid overall foreign demand for local real estate, although the market itself cooled significantly in 2025. According to Daily Sabah, citing official statistics, foreigners purchased 21,534 residential properties in Turkey in 2025—the lowest figure in nine years.
Russian citizens led the list of buyers, followed by Iran, Ukraine, Germany, and Iraq. The top 10 also included Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Saudi Arabia, and Afghanistan.
McDonald’s Ukraine Ltd., which operates the McDonald’s fast food restaurant chain in Ukraine, has invested UAH 4.84 billion in expansion and modernization in 2022-2025, the company’s press service told Interfax-Ukraine.
In 2025, the company opened 12 new restaurants and renovated five existing ones. The chain appeared for the first time in the Zakarpattia region – in Uzhhorod and Mukachevo, as well as in Hatne, Kyiv region, and in Lypyny, near Lutsk. In addition, the first McDonald’s restaurant with a sustainable design concept began operating in Lviv. In total, the company has opened 33 new restaurants since 2022, expanding the chain by more than 25% during this period.
At the same time, McDonald’s continued to work on the sustainability of the chain: the share of restaurants equipped with generators increased to over 95%, which supports the operation of establishments during power outages.
The number of customers in 2025 increased by 17%. The chain’s customer satisfaction level in 2025 rose to 98.3% compared to 96.7% in 2024. Throughout the year, the company expanded its offerings and adapted its menu to current consumer demands, in particular, bringing back breakfast items and launching new value-added offers.
The company continues to implement measures aimed at the rational use of resources and improving waste management efficiency. In 2025, the chain sent more than 2,700 tons of waste for recycling and continued to gradually reduce its use of plastic.
A separate area of development was the digitalization of services. During the year, the company improved its mobile app, expanded its personalized voucher program, and continued to introduce self-service terminals in all establishments. Currently, 85% of orders in restaurants are placed through self-service terminals, the number of registered users of the mobile app has increased by 44.5%, and the new “Mobile Order” feature has generated over 100,000 orders in its first two months of operation.
Along with the development of its business, the company continued to support social initiatives in cooperation with the Ronald McDonald House Charities in Ukraine. In 2025, McDonald’s customers participated in charity campaigns in the chain’s restaurants more than 1 million times, raising nearly UAH 28 million to support the work of family rooms and the construction of Ukraine’s first Ronald McDonald House on the grounds of the Okhmatdyt National Children’s Specialized Hospital in Kyiv.
In 2026, McDonald’s plans to continue expanding its network and strengthening its presence in the regions of Ukraine. Earlier this year, the company opened two new restaurants in Irpin and Kyiv.
The first McDonald’s restaurant in Ukraine opened on May 24, 1997, in Kyiv. McDonald’s currently employs nearly 11,000 Ukrainians and has 138 restaurants, of which 123 are currently operating in 42 locations.
According to the analytical system OpenDataBot, McDonald’s in Ukraine received UAH 21.3 billion in revenue in 2025, which is 26.6% more than in the same period last year. Net profit increased by 21.3% to UAH 1.567 billion. In 2025, the company paid UAH 3.5 billion in taxes to the budget.
The owner of McDonald’s Ukraine Ltd. is listed as MCD Europe Limited (100%, London, United Kingdom).
Kovlar Group LLC has invested tens of millions of hryvnia in the development, testing, and production of fire-retardant materials since 2015 and continued to invest after the start of the war, company director Konstantin Kalafat said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
According to him, the investments were directed towards creating proprietary formulas, laboratory and fire testing, forming a research base, purchasing equipment, and scaling technologies to an industrial level, and during the war period, also towards maintaining production continuity and adapting to power outages.
He separately noted that the company regularly allocates about 20% of its profits to R&D, including laboratory equipment, testing, and technology upgrades.
Kovlar Group LLC was founded in 2015 in Kyiv and is the largest manufacturer of passive fire protection products in Ukraine. According to OpenDataBot, the company’s authorized capital is UAH 1.2 million, and the ultimate beneficiaries are Konstantin Kalafat (40%), Andrey Ozeychuk (35%), and Lyubov Vakhitova (25%). The company’s revenue for 2024 amounted to UAH 91.3705 million, which is twice as much as in 2023, and its net profit was UAH 13.4 million, which is 1.7 times more than in 2023. In the first quarter of 2025, the company’s revenue amounted to UAH 13.5 million, with a net profit of UAH 1,983,000.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in mainland China’s economy fell by 5.7% in January to 92.01 billion yuan ($13.4 billion), according to the country’s Ministry of Commerce. The manufacturing sector attracted 26.09 billion yuan, while the service sector attracted 64.04 billion yuan. Investment in high-tech industries increased by 0.6% year-on-year to 33.75 billion yuan.
FDI from Germany to China grew by 86.6%, from Switzerland by 57.4%, and from Singapore by 10.9%.
At the same time, 5,306 new enterprises with foreign capital participation were registered in the country last month, which is 25.5% more than in January 2025.
As reported, FDI fell by 9.5% in 2025.
The American company Gulf intends to open a network of gas stations in Uzbekistan and invest in the aviation industry. This was announced by the company’s vice president Craig Kramer on February 18 in Washington at a meeting of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev with representatives of American business and financial institutions.
According to him, over the next two years, the company plans to launch at least 100 modern and convenient gas stations that will meet Western standards.
“They will be built according to Western standards and provide high-quality fuel. During this period, we will invest at least $150 million in retail assets. The financing is fully secured. Each facility will be modern and unique in terms of volume and design,” he said in a story on Uzbekistan 24 TV channel.
In addition, it is planned to create transport centers for tourists and transit carriers along the highways.
“These projects will create at least 30 new jobs at each facility. In total, more than 3,000 new jobs will be organized for Uzbek citizens,” the Gulf representative said.
Kramer said that he had received proposals from the country’s regions on infrastructure development.
“I have received specific proposals from all the khokims of Uzbekistan’s regions to develop nearly 200 gas stations across the country. This clearly demonstrates that your country has an open business climate and a high level of trust in investors,” he said.
The company also intends to introduce modern technologies and develop the aviation sector.
“We will launch mechanisms that provide modern amenities for retail and corporate clients. Along with retail, we are also investing in aviation. About $50 million will be invested in the aviation sector through Gulf Aviation,” Kramer said.
According to him, this will provide Uzbekistan’s rapidly growing aviation industry with a safe and stable fuel supply, as well as establish a reliable supply system for local and international airlines.
Gulf’s operating base in Central Asia is planned to be located in Tashkent.
“This will be another important step towards transforming Uzbekistan into a center of regional logistics and retail infrastructure,” the company representative emphasized.
The fuel for the stations will be purchased at the Republican Commodity Exchange on general terms and conditions, as well as imported.
