The government will continue providing energy aid to Slovak households in 2026 to help them cover bills for electricity, natural gas and heating. Unlike in previous years, the aid will now be targeted and provided only to households deemed to be in need, the government claims. Which households will qualify has not yet been determined.…
Lithuania’s new government has pledged to raise pensions and child benefits as part of its program to combat poverty, but lawmakers and anti-poverty organisations warn the measures may be insufficient without broader increases in social spending. Social Security and Labour Minister Jurate Zailskiene acknowledged that poverty in Lithuania was declining slowly. She said the government…
On October 1, Ukraine received a EUR 4-billion tranche from the European Union under the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration for Ukraine (ERA) initiative. In total, within the ERA instrument, the Ministry of Finance has already attracted EUR 14 billion from the EU, out of the EUR 18.1 billion foreseen. The remaining funds are expected to…
The situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has become critical due to a prolonged power outage. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated this in his nightly video address. “This is already the seventh day – and, by the way, this has never happened before – that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant has been in an…
Slovakia’s defence minister, Robert Kalinak (Smer), says the recent incursion of Russian drones into Polish airspace has underlined the need to accelerate investment in anti-drone systems. Following a video call with European partners, he told television channel Joj 24 that “it is essential to take measures against such incidents”. Kalinak is now using the Polish…
Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov described the contract with the Turkish state energy company Botas as a significant problem for Bulgaria’s energy sector, highlighting its long-term financial impact on Bulgargaz. According to Zhelyazkov, the agreement has already committed Bulgargaz to over 600 million leva (EUR 306 million) that the company is unable to repay. Over the…
On September 29 in Kyiv, Minister of Finance of Ukraine Sergii Marchenko met with the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to Ukraine, Heiko Thoms. Sergii Marchenko congratulated the Ambassador on his recent appointment. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Minister of Finance Olga Zykova and Government Commissioner…