Ukraine and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) held talks on Thursday to prepare a new programme providing expanded financing for 2026–2029, aimed at supporting the country’s economy and reconstruction efforts amid ongoing Russian attacks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he met with IMF Director Kristalina Georgieva, who arrived in Kyiv for her first visit since 2023.
“We appreciate the IMF’s readiness to continue supporting Ukraine and to make efforts toward the implementation of the new financing programme,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, thanking Georgieva for the Fund’s continued assistance.
He highlighted the impact of Russian strikes and severe winter weather on Ukraine’s energy and residential infrastructure, noting that the new IMF programme would help strengthen the country’s economic resilience.
A statement from Ukraine’s Presidential Office said the proposed financing would support macro-financial stability, fund critical defence and social needs, and assist in rebuilding Ukraine after nearly four years of war.
Georgieva reportedly assured Ukrainian officials that the IMF would continue efforts to finalise and implement the programme, which has been in development since autumn 2025.
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko welcomed Georgieva to Kyiv, where they visited a major energy facility damaged by Russian strikes. She praised the IMF chief’s “personal engagement in supporting Ukraine during this challenging time.”
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said on Thursday that Ukraine is not an obstacle to peace, pushing back against comments made a day earlier by U.S. President Donald Trump who blamed him for the peace deal stall.
"We also talked about diplomatic work with America – Ukraine has never been and will never be an obstacle to peace," Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address, referring to a telephone conversation with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Trump, interviewed by Reuters on Wednesday, said he believed Ukraine was less ready than Russia to clinch a deal. Asked why U.S.-led negotiations had not yet resolved the nearly four-year-old war, Trump responded: "Zelenskyy."
In his comments, Zelenskyy said Russia's continued attacks on Ukrainian energy sites and other targets demonstrated that Moscow did not want peace.
"It is precisely Russian missiles, Russian 'Shaheds,' (drones) and Russia's attempt to destroy Ukraine that are clear evidence that Russia is not interested in agreements at all," he said.
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia agreed with Trump that Zelenskyy was holding up a deal, saying President Vladimir Putin and the Russian side remain open to talks.
Zelenskyy pledged that Ukraine would pursue diplomatic efforts more actively.
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President Ilham Aliyev is holding his annual question-and-answer session with international journalists at the 4th Shusha Global Media Forum in Azerbaijan.
Qatar is mourning the death of its former ruler, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who has passed away at the age of 74.
The United States and Iran have significantly escalated their conflict, exchanging heavy missile and drone strikes across the Gulf region. Iran claims it has once again closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route.
Twelve people have been arrested in connection with an alleged extreme right-wing terrorism plot targeting a major Islamic gathering in Suffolk, prompting counter-terrorism police to declare a major incident and bring the event to an early close.
Ukraine and a group of key Western allies have launched a new air defence coalition to develop a European anti-ballistic missile system that will complement existing defences and reduce reliance on the costly U.S.-made Patriot system.
Russian athletes will once again be allowed to represent their country in international modern pentathlon competitions after the sport's governing body lifted restrictions on their participation, marking another step in Russia's return to international sport.
The AFC/M23 rebel movement is using its response to a small Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as evidence of its ability to govern territory under its control, establishing parallel health structures and relying partly on support from neighbouring Rwanda.
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