GlobalSource Partners | Country Insights | Ukraine

The NBU released its latest inflation report last Friday and held an expert discussion on the document today. The best way to describe the report would be ‘indistinct.’ The inflation forecast was revised upward to +8.4% YTD in 2025 (from the previously projected 6.9%), while the GDP growth foreca...

NBU Raises Prime Rate to 14.5%, Signals Further Hikes Ahead

UKRAINE · In Brief · 23 Jan 2025

The NBU Board has raised the prime rate again by 1.0 ppt to 14.5%, effective January 24. The 'working' rates have also been adjusted: the overnight deposit certificate rate increased to 14.5% (from 13.5%), the three-month deposit certificate rate rose to 17.0% (from 16.0%), and the refinancing ra...

Trump slaps Putin in the face with a proposal to get a favor

UKRAINE · In Brief · 23 Jan 2025

That’s a nice way to kick off negotiations. Whether intentionally or not, Donald Trump’s post landed a direct blow to the very core of Russist ideology. For years, Russian ruler Vladimir Putin has cultivated a "victory cult" in Russian society, glorifying May 9th, Victory Day, and claiming public...

The fog of war: understanding broader battlefield realities

UKRAINE · In Brief · 19 Jan 2025

On the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration, let me provide an overview of the current stance on the battlefield in Ukraine to offer a better picture of where we stand and the position from which the announced negotiations might commence. I am not a military expert—I’ve said that many times. What I...

Fresh polls: sentiments on territorial concessions evolve amid peace deal discourse

UKRAINE · In Brief · 10 Jan 2025

The world is abuzz with discussions about President-elect Donald Trump's territorial claims on Greenland and Canada. Meanwhile, I’d like to share some new poll results reflecting Ukrainian sentiments, which seem particularly significant as we approach the upcoming negotiations after January 20. F...

A train with waste paper: Zelenskiy speaks plainly on security guarantees in Lex Fridman interview

UKRAINE · In Brief · 06 Jan 2025

Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s interview with Lex Fridman is in the spotlight. The Ukrainian president may have his flaws, but there’s no denying his exceptional communication skills. His conversation with Lex Fridman was a significant media effort aimed at engaging Western audiences. Even after three yea...

The final chapter for Russian gas transit through Ukraine?

UKRAINE · In Brief · 30 Dec 2024

On January 1, 2025, the 5-year gas transit contract between Naftogaz and Gazprom is set to expire. Ukrainian authorities are resolute in their decision to end this unusual business arrangement with an aggressor actively seeking to destroy the country. Predictably, the move has sparked outrage fro...

Korean or Finland scenario for Ukraine? No Gordian knot solution in sight.

UKRAINE · In Brief · 27 Dec 2024

Foreign Affairs recently published an excellent article titled 'A Pathway to Peace in Ukraine' by Samuel Charap. I would like to react to it. The comment by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that 'a ceasefire is a road to nowhere' aligns closely with the perspective Samuel Charap, a Distingu...

Financial stability report: signals of confidence amid war and uncertainty

UKRAINE · In Brief · 24 Dec 2024

If you’re looking for a bit of optimism about Ukraine, you should take a look at the year-end Financial Stability Report released by the NBU yesterday. The monetary authorities are exuding optimism about the financial health of the banking system, reporting that the NBU’s Financial Stress Index h...

Unless Gandalf casts a spell, peace prospects look dim

UKRAINE · Report · 17 Dec 2024

Two key questions are on the agenda: what U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will propose as a peace deal, and what the response will be if the proposed solution sacrifices Ukraine’s sovereignty. Any plan requiring Ukraine to recognize Russian-occupied territories or to compromise its sovereignty ...

Easing cycle ends: NBU raises prime rate by 0.5 ppt to 13.5%

UKRAINE · In Brief · 13 Dec 2024

The NBU Board has raised the prime rate by 0.5 ppt to 13.5%, effective December 13, marking the end of the easing cycle that began in July 2023. The primary reason for this decision was the acceleration of consumer inflation, which exceeded the 10% threshold (+1.9% m/m and +11.2% y/y in November)...

Permission for limited long-range missile strikes vs. global security breakdown

UKRAINE · In Brief · 18 Nov 2024

On Sunday morning, November 17, we received an alert that nearly 17 Russian strategic bombers were in the air preparing to launch dozens of cruise missiles. Such a big number of strategic bombers approaching launch sites usually means that hypersonic ballistic missile Kynzhal carriers Mig-31 will...

Euphoria Over Trump’s Peace Promise Seems Premature

UKRAINE · In Brief · 13 Nov 2024

In early 2022, European leaders, as well as the U.S., assumed that the occupation of Ukraine was imminent. Germany's Minister of Finance, Christian Lindner, told the Ukrainian ambassador in Berlin that Russia would occupy Ukraine within hours. All embassies were evacuated from Kyiv in February 20...

Ukraine's Peace Prospects under a Trump Presidency: A View from Kyiv

UKRAINE · In Brief · 07 Nov 2024

Another sleepless night in Kyiv, with air alerts lasting over 8 hours. For more than two months, nearly every night has been interrupted, with only rare exceptions. It feels like a deliberate tactic, KGB-style, to exhaust people by depriving them of sleep. After all, the chief barbarian from the ...

Prime rate holds at 13.0%; NBU signals readiness for potential rate hike

UKRAINE · In Brief · 01 Nov 2024

On October 31st, the NBU Board, as anticipated, kept the prime rate steady at 13.0% for the third consecutive time. With inflation accelerating (+1.5% m/m and +8.6% y/y in September) and the challenges of a third winter under missile and drone strikes, the NBU has little choice but to remain in a...