Olha Stefanishyna

The Asset Recovery and Management Agency needs a reboot due to inefficiency. An audit should be the first step towards ARMA reform, says political scientist Vitaliy Kulyk.

The draft law on the reform of ARMA, which was supposed to put an end to "manual" property management, unexpectedly "stalled" in the Rada. This coincided with a high-profile scandal over corruption in the agency.

The Rada is calling for the dismissal of Olena Duma due to opaque asset management. The reason for this is the facts presented in a recent journalistic investigation.

Kęstutis Budrys arrived in Kyiv, despite the intensification of Russian shelling of civilian infrastructure. He will discuss support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia.

Head of ARMA Olena Duma reacted to the investigation into the possible non-transparent transfer of seized property, but did not refute the key facts. The situation confirms the need for ARMA reform.

Ukraine has preliminarily approved draft negotiating positions for clusters 2 and 6 for negotiations on joining the EU. The position on cluster 1 has already been submitted to the European Commission.

The introduction of EU duties on Ukrainian agricultural products may cause economic damage to Ukraine and undermine confidence in Europe. This will reduce Ukraine's export revenue to 3.5 billion euros.

According to Stefanishyna, Ukraine and the EU have started a dialogue on trade. The European Commission's decision on transitional measures for export is intermediate.

The Prime Minister of Ukraine held a meeting on the mechanism for confiscating frozen Russian assets. Ukraine is strengthening its defense at the expense of profits from these assets.

The Deputy Prime Minister stated Hungary's tough stance and its aggressive rhetoric towards Ukraine. Despite this, Ukraine continues the dialogue and is preparing for a meeting on May 12.

The development of the National Program for Harmonization of Ukrainian Legislation with the Law of the European Union has begun. The program will become Ukraine's "homework diary" on the way to EU membership.

The OECD expert emphasized the need to strengthen integrity checks for judges. The development of judicial self-government and legal education reform are also important.

The President of Ukraine met with the OECD Secretary-General to discuss the organization's participation in the country's reconstruction. They also discussed strengthening the agricultural sector and the importance of anti-corruption reforms.

Canada has started the process of confiscating the An-124 "Ruslan" aircraft belonging to a Russian company. After a court decision, the aircraft may be transferred to Ukraine.

Ukraine has prepared roadmaps in the areas of the rule of law and anti-corruption. They will soon be submitted to the government for consideration for further advancement to the EU.

Marta Kos declared her support for the opening of Cluster 1 for Ukraine and Moldova in the EU. The European Commission positively assesses Ukraine's progress in reforms for accession.

Ukraine has already provided proposals for resolving issues that cover the 11 points formulated by Hungary to ensure the rights of the Hungarian minority. An institutional framework has been created for dialogue.

On May 12, another round of consultations between Ukraine and Hungary on the protection of the rights of national minorities will take place in Uzhhorod.

The EU will not extend Ukraine's free access to the market, seeking to agree on broader trade liberalization by June 5. They are working on a "legal bridge" if an agreement is not reached in time.

Ukraine and the EU will develop a compromise trade option, taking into account the interests of farmers. It is important to maintain access of Ukrainian agricultural products to the European market.

Ukraine is largely integrated into the European market, in particular, trade and logistics. Thanks to Ukrainians abroad, the state is integrating into the European labor market.

The Ukraine2EU program is unique because the EU does not usually finance the accession of other countries. Denmark, Sweden and Lithuania are jointly helping Ukraine on its path to EU membership.

The Ukrainian delegation has submitted proposals to the United States regarding a mineral agreement. The parties discussed important agreements and will continue negotiations.

Lithuania plans to introduce national sanctions against Russia and Belarus if the European Union does not extend the existing economic restrictions. The relevant bill is already being considered in the Seimas.

Ukraine is ready to provide the EU with information on the involvement of sanctioned individuals in financing Russian aggression. This was stated by Stefanishyna during a meeting of the European Commission's Working Group.

After the introduction of the government program to reduce the cost of medicines, prices for other drugs increased by up to 30%. This may increase the financial burden on patients, especially those with chronic diseases.

On March 1, 2025, Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 168, which introduces restrictions on markups on medicines and a ban on marketing agreements, came into force in Ukraine. Experts predict shortages and rising prices.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that Ukraine's level of accession to the EU's foreign policy decisions is high, which is an important criterion for negotiations. The opening of a new negotiation cluster is expected.

Vice Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna declared UAH 1. 1 million in salary and UAH 220,000 in alimony for the past year. She owns apartments in Odesa, a land plot and a Toyota RAV4.

President Zelensky stated that the United States does not support Ukraine's accession to NATO. He considers it a great gift for Russia, as the topic of negotiations is removed.