Latest news with #Kyiv-based
News18
3 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Ukrainians Trust Zelenskyy Less Since Wartime Protests, Polls Finds
Last Updated: Public trust in President Zelenskyy hit a six-month low, per Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, after protests against his move to curb anti-corruption watchdogs' power. Public trust in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fell to its lowest level in around six months, according to a prominent Kyiv-based polling agency. This comes following rare wartime protests against a move to curb the power of anti-corruption watchdogs. The survey, by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, is the first by a major Ukrainian pollster to measure public sentiment since Zelenskyy sparked anger with a move to subordinate the agencies to a hand-picked prosecutor-general, Reuters reported. Thousands of Ukrainians took to the streets in Kyiv and other cities late last month to protest the fast-tracked measures, leading President Zelenskyy and his ruling party to swiftly backtrack on the decision. Last month's action against anti-corruption authorities sparked widespread discontent, largely due to what critics called the rushed process and lack of transparency in how the measures were pushed through. Fighting corruption and improving governance are key requirements for loan-dependent Ukraine to join the European Union, a step many consider critical to fending off future Russian pressure. While much smaller, the demonstrations had prompted comparisons to Ukraine's 2014 Maidan revolution, when protesters toppled a leader accused of graft and heavy-handed rule in favour of closer ties with the West, Reuters reported. The KIIS survey revealed that among those who distrust President Zelenskyy, the main reasons cited were corruption (21%) and his management of the war (20%). The poll noted that trust had already been on the decline prior to the protests, but the demonstrations 'undoubtedly had an impact" on the continued drop. Zelenskyy's lowest trust rating during the war was 52% in December 2024. The latest poll surveyed over 1,000 respondents across government-controlled areas of Ukraine. In a research note, executive director Anton Grushetskyi stated that while Zelenskyy still maintains 'a fairly high level of trust," the steady decline should be seen as a cautionary sign. 'The persistent downward trend is a worrying signal that requires attention and thoughtful decisions from the authorities," he wrote. After yielding to public pressure and introducing new legislation to reverse the controversial measures last month, Zelenskyy stated that he 'respects the position of all Ukrainians." However, some protesters interviewed by Reuters said the scandal had, to some extent, changed their view of Zelenskyy. His office has also been accused of using the war as a pretext to centralise power—allegations it has denied. 'On the first day of the protests, I thought about…tattooing #12414 simply as a reminder," said 22-year-old IT worker Artem Astaf'yev, referring to the controversial law's designation. Astaf'yev, who was attending a protest for the first time, said he would likely not support Zelenskyy's ruling Servant of the People party in future elections. Currently, all elections are suspended under martial law. Others, like 50-year-old veteran Yuriy Fylypenko, said the public backlash demonstrated that Ukraine's traditionally active civil society remains capable of mobilising—even during wartime. 'We have been convinced that Ukraine is not sleeping, that Ukraine is full of potential to defend democratic principles." view comments Location : Ukraine First Published: August 07, 2025, 16:33 IST News world Ukrainians Trust Zelenskyy Less Since Wartime Protests, Polls Finds Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Euractiv
6 days ago
- Business
- Euractiv
Ukraine's chicken giant buys big Spanish poultry and pork producer
Major Ukrainian poultry firm MHP said on Monday that it had sealed a deal to acquire a 92% stake in Uvesa, one of Spain's leading poultry and pork producers, consolidating control of Europe's chicken market. The deal expands the presence of Kyiv-based MHP inside the EU, a company that already controls most of the war torn country's poultry production and has significantly increased exports to the bloc since the Russian invasion. The buyout gives MHP control over Uvesa's core operations, the company said on Monday, with Uvesa president Antonio Sánchez hailing the acquisition as a way to ensure "total food security.' MHP, which ranks among Ukraine's biggest employers, is also Europe's leading poultry producer but its growing European footprint hasn't come without controversy. The company has received multi-million EU loans – meant to support Ukraine's farming sector – despite criticism over lax oversight on environmental and animal welfare standards, according to an investigation by Follow the Money. In June, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development handed MHP an additional €40 million to boost energy security, ramp up production, and diversify operations to buffer the impact of Russia's war. In 2024, wartime trade liberalisation with Ukraine was slammed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who, amid farmer protests in France, said that allowing unlimited chicken imports mostly benefit MHP's founder and CEO, Yuriy Kosyuk. 'Who's benefiting, three-quarters of the time? One group, owned by a billionaire,' Macron said. 'Frankly, we don't want to make this gentleman even richer (...) it doesn't actually help Ukraine.' Quotas and contradictions European producer groups say the rapid expansion of Ukrainian poultry firms like MHP signals 'substantial financial capacity.' 'In that context, the continued calls for exceptional trade preferences and financial support from international donors can appear contradictory,' Birthe Steenberg, secretary general of EU poultry lobby AVEC, told Euractiv. A new EU-Ukraine trade agreement will raise the poultry export quota from 90,000 to 120,000 tonnes per year – short of full wartime liberalisation. It also includes a safeguard clause to suspend imports if they negatively impact the EU market – on economic or societal grounds – a provision viewed as controversial by Ukrainian producers. Farmer protests could justify import bans under new EU-Ukraine deal In practice, farmer protests could be cited as a 'societal difficulty' to trigger safeguard measures. Still, AVEC welcomed that MHP will be subject to full EU rules in Spain, including on animal welfare, environmental protection, labour standards, and food safety. 'We fully support this alignment and consider it a step toward a more balanced and fair integration of Ukraine's poultry sector into the European market framework,' Steenberg added. (jp)
See - Sada Elbalad
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Ukraine Sees 26% Drop in School Graduates
Israa Farhan Ukraine has recorded a steep 26 percent decline in secondary-school graduates in just one year, highlighting mounting concerns over youth emigration amid the ongoing war and compulsory military service. Statistics from the country's national multi-subject entrance exam show that only 208,000 students sat the test in 2025, down from 283,400 in 2024, according to the Kyiv-based outlet 'Strana'. The sharp fall follows reports from last October that an estimated 300,000 pupils in grades 10 and 11 had left Ukraine before the start of the 2024-2025 academic year. Although the Ministry of Education has acknowledged a growing trend of students moving abroad after finishing school, officials insist the outflow is not yet 'widespread.' Education analysts, however, link the exodus to conscription rules: once male students turn 18 they become eligible for mandatory military service and lose the legal right to leave the country. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia Business Egyptian Pound Undervalued by 30%, Says Goldman Sachs Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle Arts & Culture Lebanese Media: Fayrouz Collapses after Death of Ziad Rahbani Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results
The Star
31-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Analysis-Ukraine's huge financing gap set to widen as war heats up and reforms stall
KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine's financing gap will widen significantly next year if Russia keeps up its intense attacks across the country and the government fails to act on demands for reform from foreign lenders, analysts say. The government spends most state revenues on the army and finances social and humanitarian spending with foreign aid, which state data shows has totalled $139 billion since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Central Bank Governor Andriy Pyshnyi said that only about a third of the $65 billion needed for both 2026 and 2027 had been pledged, with talks underway on the rest. A poll of eight economists by the Centre for Economic Studies, a Kyiv-based think-tank, showed Ukraine will need between $39 billion - this year's sum - and about $58 billion in external financing for next year alone. The task is urgent. "A key challenge for the government now is to look for $10-15 billion in addition to that volume of aid which partners have already pledged for 2026," ICU, a Kyiv-based investment house, said in a research note. Those negotiations may become more difficult after Ukraine missed key targets agreed with lenders - including the appointment of judges and other key officials - and the president tightened control over the two main agencies investigating corruption. The move by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy sparked Ukraine's biggest wartime street protests and prompted strong criticism from Kyiv's European allies, who made it clear that strong anti-graft measures were key to the country's EU aspirations. Zelenskiy backtracked and has submitted a new draft law to parliament, vowing to restore the independence of institutions set up to root out corruption, even at the highest level. The vote on the draft bill is set for later on Thursday. But some damage has been done already, experts say. "Although Europe is unlikely to walk away from Ukraine, future financial and military support will likely come under much more scrutiny, leading to delays that Ukraine can ill afford," said Evghenia Sleptsova, senior economist at Oxford Economics. STALLED REFORMS To unlock the next tranches of multi-year lending programs from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, Ukraine needs to make various reform steps which include hiring more judges to the highest anti-corruption court, overhauling the agency tasked with managing nationalised assets and appointing a head of the bureau for economic security. In the first quarter of this year, Ukraine failed to meet several funding targets under the four-year 50 billion-euro Ukraine Facility approved by the EU last year, two officials with knowledge of the matter said. In June, Ukraine requested 3 billion euros instead of the 4.5 billion euros it was meant to receive for the second quarter, they said. The economy ministry, a coordinator for the facility, said Ukraine was meeting all its obligations despite wartime challenges and expected a tranche worth about 3 billion euros in August. The ministry said it hoped to receive a 1.45 billion euro tranche at a later stage. Ukraine also has a $15.5 billion support program with the IMF and plans talks on a new lending program, officials say. Danylo Hetmansev, a lawmaker from the ruling party and the head of parliament's committee for taxes and finances, said the delays in meeting key reform targets were baffling. "I cannot say that among the uncompleted tasks there was anything extremely difficult or unmanageable," he said on the Telegram app. Officials say that the government is working to implement all required reform steps but some more complicated tasks require more time. Ukraine overhauled its government on July 17, appointing experienced technocrat Yulia Svyrydenko as the first new prime minister in five years to revitalise economic management. The economy grew 2.9% last year but for this year, the central bank has cut its forecast to 2.1% as hopes for a quick end to the war as predicted by U.S. President Donald Trump have faded. "While many of us have previously assumed that 2026 would be easier, we now anticipate that the war will continue into next year," said Oleksandra Betlyi, researcher from the Institute of Economic Studies in Ukraine. She cited mining and agriculture among economic weak spots. As Russian troops advance in the eastern Donetsk region, Ukraine has lost key assets, including the country's only coking coal mine near the besieged city of Pokrovsk. Russian strikes have also damaged Ukraine's gas production, Betlyi added. Trump set a new deadline on Monday of 10 or 12 days for Russia to make progress toward ending the war in Ukraine, threatening to impose new sanctions if it failed to do so. Analysts pointed out that Ukraine would be unable to cut its defence spending significantly next year, even if a ceasefire was agreed this year, given that its much larger neighbour Russia has hiked military spending to record levels. Ukraine will spend a record 2.6 trillion hryvnias ($62 billion) or about 31% of GDP on defence this year. ($1 = 0.8725 euros) (Reporting by Olena Harmash; Editing by Mike Collett-White and Philippa Fletcher)
Straits Times
31-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Ukraine's huge financing gap set to widen as war heats up and reforms stall
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during a press briefing following phone calls with U.S. President Donald Trump, amid Russia?s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 19, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo KYIV - Ukraine's financing gap will widen significantly next year if Russia keeps up its intense attacks across the country and the government fails to act on demands for reform from foreign lenders, analysts say. The government spends most state revenues on the army and finances social and humanitarian spending with foreign aid, which state data shows has totalled $139 billion since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Central Bank Governor Andriy Pyshnyi said that only about a third of the $65 billion needed for both 2026 and 2027 had been pledged, with talks underway on the rest. A poll of eight economists by the Centre for Economic Studies, a Kyiv-based think-tank, showed Ukraine will need between $39 billion - this year's sum - and about $58 billion in external financing for next year alone. The task is urgent. "A key challenge for the government now is to look for $10-15 billion in addition to that volume of aid which partners have already pledged for 2026," ICU, a Kyiv-based investment house, said in a research note. Those negotiations may become more difficult after Ukraine missed key targets agreed with lenders - including the appointment of judges and other key officials - and the president tightened control over the two main agencies investigating corruption. The move by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy sparked Ukraine's biggest wartime street protests and prompted strong criticism from Kyiv's European allies, who made it clear that strong anti-graft measures were key to the country's EU aspirations. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore SMRT's finances hit by 2024 EWL disruption; profit after tax for trains division dips 8% Asia US-Malaysia tariff deal set for Aug 1 after Trump-Anwar phone call Asia Malaysia PM Anwar says Trump to attend Asean Summit in October Singapore Underground pipe leak likely reason for water supply issues during Toa Payoh fire: Town council Multimedia 60 years, 60 items: A National Day game challenge Singapore Driver in 2024 Tampines crash that killed 2 set to plead guilty in October Life Milo tees, kaya toast pimple patches, crockery: Here are the SG60 merch to collect Singapore 'Switching careers just as I became a dad was risky, but I had to do it for my family' Zelenskiy backtracked and has submitted a new draft law to parliament, vowing to restore the independence of institutions set up to root out corruption, even at the highest level. The vote on the draft bill is set for later on Thursday. But some damage has been done already, experts say. "Although Europe is unlikely to walk away from Ukraine, future financial and military support will likely come under much more scrutiny, leading to delays that Ukraine can ill afford," said Evghenia Sleptsova, senior economist at Oxford Economics. STALLED REFORMS To unlock the next tranches of multi-year lending programs from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, Ukraine needs to make various reform steps which include hiring more judges to the highest anti-corruption court, overhauling the agency tasked with managing nationalised assets and appointing a head of the bureau for economic security. In the first quarter of this year, Ukraine failed to meet several funding targets under the four-year 50 billion-euro Ukraine Facility approved by the EU last year, two officials with knowledge of the matter said. In June, Ukraine requested 3 billion euros instead of the 4.5 billion euros it was meant to receive for the second quarter, they said. The economy ministry, a coordinator for the facility, said Ukraine was meeting all its obligations despite wartime challenges and expected a tranche worth about 3 billion euros in August. The ministry said it hoped to receive a 1.45 billion euro tranche at a later stage. Ukraine also has a $15.5 billion support program with the IMF and plans talks on a new lending program, officials say. Danylo Hetmansev, a lawmaker from the ruling party and the head of parliament's committee for taxes and finances, said the delays in meeting key reform targets were baffling. "I cannot say that among the uncompleted tasks there was anything extremely difficult or unmanageable," he said on the Telegram app. Officials say that the government is working to implement all required reform steps but some more complicated tasks require more time. Ukraine overhauled its government on July 17, appointing experienced technocrat Yulia Svyrydenko as the first new prime minister in five years to revitalise economic management. The economy grew 2.9% last year but for this year, the central bank has cut its forecast to 2.1% as hopes for a quick end to the war as predicted by U.S. President Donald Trump have faded. "While many of us have previously assumed that 2026 would be easier, we now anticipate that the war will continue into next year," said Oleksandra Betlyi, researcher from the Institute of Economic Studies in Ukraine. She cited mining and agriculture among economic weak spots. As Russian troops advance in the eastern Donetsk region, Ukraine has lost key assets, including the country's only coking coal mine near the besieged city of Pokrovsk. Russian strikes have also damaged Ukraine's gas production, Betlyi added. Trump set a new deadline on Monday of 10 or 12 days for Russia to make progress toward ending the war in Ukraine, threatening to impose new sanctions if it failed to do so. Analysts pointed out that Ukraine would be unable to cut its defence spending significantly next year, even if a ceasefire was agreed this year, given that its much larger neighbour Russia has hiked military spending to record levels. Ukraine will spend a record 2.6 trillion hryvnias ($62 billion) or about 31% of GDP on defence this year. REUTERS
