News about Ukraine
The Ukrainian authorities are engaged in new international agreements in the security sphere. One of the key areas could be the Drone Deal between Ukraine and the USA, which envisages joint production of drones and development of defense technologies.
The Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine forecasts the grain harvest in 2026 at 60.4 million tons, which is only 1% or 0.64 million tons less than last year.
The European Union could send Ukraine the first tranche from a 90 billion euro loan package as early as next week.
The EU may start direct membership talks with Ukraine by the end of June. This was announced by European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos today, 11 May. Commissioner Kos urged member states to officially open all negotiating clusters on Ukraine’s membership as soon as possible.
US President Donald Trump has said he would like to see a “significant extension” of the ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.
A large-scale forest fire has started in the Chernobyl exclusion zone. The State Service of Ukraine for Emergency Situations reported that the area of the fire has already exceeded 1.1 thousand hectares. The radiation background has not changed.
Transport company JSC “Ukrzaliznytsia” reported about the expansion of its capabilities in international logistics. In cooperation with UZ Cargo Poland and CTC branch LISKI, a regular cargo flight between Romania and Ukraine was launched the other day.
Hungary has returned in full the valuables of the Ukrainian Oschadbank transported through the country and detained by its authorities in March 2026.
The strategy of long-term storage of apples in expectation of a higher price at the end of the season did not justify itself. The dynamics of the fruit market in Europe developed in the opposite direction – stagnation or decrease in prices for dessert and industrial apples. As a result, growers in Ukraine, Poland and Moldova, at best, gained nothing, and at worst – suffered financial losses.
The Russian Defense Ministry has announced a unilateral ceasefire for the period from May 8 to May 9, when Moscow celebrates the annual Victory Day in World War II.
Greece does not agree to Ukraine’s terms on the joint use of maritime drones, products of a potential co-production. Greece is concerned that Ukraine insists on having a “say” on how these drones the Greek side of the production tandem plans to use.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after a telephone conversation with Robert Fitzo that the Slovak prime minister would support Ukraine in the EU membership issue. He also said that he had invited Fitzo to Kiev, and the latter, in turn, invited him to Bratislava. Both leaders accepted the invitations.
The U.S. budget for 2027 does not tentatively include funding for USAI, the Security Assistance Initiative for Ukraine.
In less than two weeks, from last Friday to this moment, onions on the Ukrainian market rose in price by an average of 40-45%. Ukrainian farmers were able to increase selling prices for onions for the first time since the beginning of February this year. On the whole, a cardinal increase in prices for this vegetable in Ukraine has not been recorded since mid-May 2025.
After the Easter truce, Russia proposed a ceasefire on the day of the Victory Day parade. Moscow has already scaled down the event. For the first time in many years, no Russian armored columns will march through Red Square.
Military spending by NATO’s European member states grew faster last year than at any time since 1953. They increased by 14% compared to 2024, reaching 739 billion euros.
U.S. and Russian Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin had a phone conversation on April 29 that lasted more than an hour and a half.
Spring frosts in Ukraine resulted in the loss of about 50% of the crop of early stone trees. For this reason, apricots and cherries may rise in price by 30-50%.
Milk producers in Ukraine are in a difficult situation due to rising prices for energy and other inputs, as well as “war challenges” and new EU requirements.
In Bukovyna, illegal export of timber to Moldova using forged documents was stopped. During searches, property and cash worth 10 million hryvnias (almost 4 million lei) were seized.
