Today's Contents
Just The Facts:
- Trump mulls creating special Ukraine post, eyes ex-intelligence chief Grenell for role, sources say
- DTEK to receive €107 million of energy aid from US government, European Commission
- Ukraine signs $4.8 billion loan with World Bank under PEACE project
- Zelensky says Russia damaged 321 of Ukraine's port infrastructure facilities since July 2023
- Russia strikes energy, industry sites in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region overnight, officials say
- IMF official says it's cheaper for allies to fund Ukraine now than face costs of potential defeat
- 'Grain from Ukraine' program to fight world hunger secures $44 million in funding
Here's What They Think:
- Richard Branson: Russia's disregard of Budapest Memorandum may lead to anarchy
- The Nation: Biden's escalation in Ukraine is 'shameful'
Sober Second Thought:
- Satellite imagery has shown a 20% drop in wheat production in regions on the front line of conflict with Russia, Environmental Research Letters has found.
The Rebuilder's Social:
- Posts from World Bank managing director of operations, Ukraine's economy minister, and more, with topics including New European Bauhaus and entrepreneurship
DTEK to receive €107 million of energy aid from US government, European Commission
DTEK, Ukraine's largest private power producer, will receive a combined €107 million in energy aid from the US and the European Commission to rebuild capacity destroyed by Russian attacks, the company said in a press release.
The US will provide $46.1 million to purchase control systems and new transformers that will support energy supplies for millions of people. Through the US has previously provided DTEK with important equipment for Grids teams through the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
The European Commission will donate €62.8 million for equipment and materials that will rebuild 1.8GW of generating capacity, as well as protect power plant equipment from snow, rain, and sub-zero temperatures. The donation is expected to impact energy supplies for more than 2 million Ukrainians.
Prior to the Russian invasion, DTEK produced around 25% of Ukraine's electricity. The production capacity has been greatly impacted by Russian missile and drone attacks that started in March 2024, which destroyed around 90% of the company's capacity by mid-summer.
Earlier this month, an unnamed industrial source said that Russia struck three of five working thermal plants owned by DTEK. On Nov 22, one of the three plants remained offline, while the other two were repaired.
Trump mulls creating special Ukraine post, eyes ex-intelligence chief Grenell for role, sources say
US President-elect Donald Trump is mulling establishing a special envoy post focused exclusively on resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict and is considering appointing his former intelligence chief, Richard Grenell, to the position, Reuters reported, citing four unnamed sources with knowledge of the transition plan.
Although Trump is strongly considering appointing a special envoy for the Ukraine conflict, he may ultimately decide against it, the sources said. If he proceeds, he could choose someone else for the role, and there is no assurance that Grenell would accept, according to the sources.
Grenell has earlier advocated for the establishment of "autonomous zones" as a way of ending the conflict in Ukraine and has suggested he would not be in favor of Ukraine joining NATO in the immediate future, Reuters reported.
Grenell served as acting director of national intelligence during Trump's first term. He was also Trump's ambassador to Germany and has served as a special presidential envoy for Serbia and Kosovo peace negotiations.
Ukraine signs $4.8 billion loan with World Bank under PEACE project
Ukraine's Finance Ministry said it has signed a $4.8 billion loan agreement with the World Bank under the lender's Public Expenditures for Administrative Capacity Endurance (PEACE) project.
The loan, to be financed by the US and other development partners, will be used for priority social budget expenditures, the ministry said in a press release on Friday.
The PEACE in Ukraine project, a vital World Bank financial instrument, facilitates coordinated international donor support for Ukraine by providing swift and predictable funding, as per the statement.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, over $35.5 billion has been directed through the project to cover Ukraine's social budget expenditures, the ministry noted.
Russia strikes energy, industry sites in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region overnight, officials say
Russia launched attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine's southern region Mykolaiv, said the region's Governor Vitaly Kim via the Telegram messaging app.
The companies were able to restore power to most consumers facing power cuts as a result of the attacks, Kim said, adding that no casualties were reported and that air defenses downed two drones over Mykolaiv.
Morover, Zaporizhzhia Governor Ivan Fedorov said on national television that Russia launched "tens of drones" to attack Ukrainian southeastern region overnight, as reported by Reuters. The attack injured one child and resulted in damage to multiple industrial facilities and a residential block, Fedorov added.
Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that his country was targeted by around 500 drones in the past week, as reported by the Guardian.
"Ukraine is not a testing ground for weapons," Zelensky said, adding: "Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state. But Russia still continues its efforts to kill our people, spread fear and panic, and weaken us."
Ukraine said that Russia has set up two factories to produce Shahed 136 drones. The production capability is expected to be around hundreds per week, an unnamed Ukrainian source said.
Zelensky says Russia damaged 321 of Ukraine's port infrastructure facilities since July 2023
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday that 321 infrastructure facilities in the country's ports have been damaged by Russian strikes since July 2023.
The total includes 20 foreign civilian vessels, while more than 60 targeted strikes were aimed specifically at food infrastructure, Zelensky said at the third Grain From Ukraine conference in Kyiv.
Zelensky said that the Grain from Ukraine initiative, a humanitarian food program launched in 2022 to provide Ukrainian grain to countries in Africa and Asia facing malnutrition and hunger, has saved 20 million people from hunger, noting that Ukraine's total food exports feed 400 million people in 100 countries.
Russia blockaded Ukraine's Black Sea ports at the start of its full-scale invasion in February 2022. The Black Sea Initiative, launched shortly after, allowed Ukraine to export food products through the Black Sea, but Russia pulled out of it in July 2023.
Currently, Ukraine is shipping goods through an alternative corridor in the Black Sea carved out by the military.
Before the invasion, Ukraine exported 6 million metric tons of agricultural products per month, accounting for 10% of the global market. The war has disrupted exports, but the situation has been normalizing lately. Since February, Ukraine has been exporting 4 million-5 million metric tons per month.
IMF official says it's cheaper for allies to fund Ukraine now than face costs of potential defeat
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Resident Representative for Ukraine Priscilla Toffano said it is cheaper for Ukraine's partners to provide financing to the country now rather than to later cover the costs of a potential defeat in the war with Russia, Interfax reported on Friday.
"Funding the country now is worth it — not just from the perspective of values, principles, or morality, but it may also be cheaper for Ukraine's allies," Toffano said at a conference in Kyiv, as quoted by Interfax. "It is less expensive to finance Ukraine now and prevent it from losing the war than to cover the costs of additional defense or refugees if Ukraine were to lose," she added.
Toffano highlighted that, even after the war, Ukraine's expenses will remain high due to reconstruction efforts, substantial social spending, and initiatives to encourage the return of citizens who have emigrated.
In this context, she stressed the importance of increasing tax revenues, citing the IMF's recommendation to raise the value-added tax and adhere to the National Revenue Strategy.
Toffano also underlined the need to enhance expenditure planning and rationalization to free up financial resources, strengthen institutional efficiency, and maintain the focus on EU accession.
"This idea is that we should also plan for post-war needs. So, for example, in our program there is a structural reference of the Budget Declaration covering 2026-2028, to make sure that Ukraine thinks about these higher costs, about these costs that will actively grow now and also after the war," Toffano stated.
'Grain from Ukraine' program to fight world hunger secures $44 million in funding
The Grain from Ukraine initiative, a humanitarian food program launched in 2022 to provide countries facing hunger with Ukrainian grain, has secured $44 million in funding from states participating in the third "Grain from Ukraine" summit held in Kyiv on Nov 23, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said.
Under the initiative, more than 286,000 tons of food aid to vulnerable populations in Africa have already been delivered, the ministry said in a press release on Saturday.
Event participants emphasized the importance of adopting innovative technologies to enhance agricultural efficiency, conserve natural resources, and develop sustainable food systems resilient to climate change and global challenges, as per the statement.
At the Grain from Ukraine summit last year, $100 million was secured for the program, while $180 million was donated in 2022, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.
The recipients of Ukrainian grain under the program are countries suffering food shortages, including Ethiopia, Somalia, Nigeria, Kenya, Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe, among others.
Richard Branson: Russia's disregard of Budapest Memorandum may lead to anarchy
Virgin Group co-founder Richard Branson argued in an opinion piece that Russia's disrespect of the Budapest Memorandum, signed in 1994 by the US, the UK, and Russia, which guaranteed Ukraine's sovereignty in exchange for the country giving up its nuclear arsenal, could prevent other countries from handing over nuclear weapons in the future and prompt non-nuclear states starting seeking them as a deterrent.
The Nation: Biden's escalation in Ukraine is 'shameful'
US President Joe Biden's latest moves on Ukraine, allowing the country to use American anti-personnel mines and US-supplied ATACMS missiles to strike deep into Russia, may have happened for two reasons: Biden either hopes to entangle the incoming Trump administration or he is using aggression to delay the war's end and ensure a "decent interval" before the American effort collapses — both of which are "shameful," The Nation's national affairs correspondent Jeet Heer wrote in an op-ed.
Satellite imagery shows drop in wheat biomasses in Ukraine, study finds
Satellite imagery focusing on two Ukrainian wheat production areas — the Kherson and Poltava regions — has shown a drop in wheat production in regions on the front line of conflict with Russia, research published by Environmental Research Letters has found.
Researchers used satellite data and advanced models to monitor the impact of the Russian invasion on wheat crop yields in Ukraine. By classifying land cover and estimating wheat biomass, they created detailed maps and yield estimates that reveal disruptions to agriculture due to the conflict.
The research focused on three crop years from 2020 to 2022. A crop year is defined as running from Jan 1 to Oct 30. Crop year 2020 and 2021 were in pre-war conditions, while 2022 corresponds to the year of Russian invasion and the beginning of the war.
The study has shown that, in 2022, aboveground biomass of wheat decreased by about 20% in the Kherson region, which is partially within the occupied land in 2022. Poltava, which is outside the land occupied by Russia in 2022, showed no significant change in wheat production.
The study found no evidence of severe climatic conditions that could explain the sharp decline in wheat fields production near Kherson. As production remained stable in Poltava, researchers were able to conclude that the drop in crop yields in Kherson could be attributed to its location near the front line with Russian troops.
The invasion started in February 2022 following the sowing period, which means that the impact of the war was during the growing season, including irrigation and fertilization. Researchers concluded that the drop could be related to farmers abandoning the land to flee the war and its consequences, including land mines pollution, soil contamination, and destruction of infrastructure.
Drawing further conclusions from the study, the researchers highlighted that, while the impact of war on agricultural land is present, it is also important to consider the impacts on agricultural practices. The lack of agricultural labor during the 2022 wheat crop season is mainly the reason behind the drop in production in Kherson region, they said.
Anna Bjerde, World Bank managing director of operations, devoted her regular column, "On the Road with Anna," to her recent visit to Ukraine, under the title "Preparing for the Ukraine of tomorrow. And the day after."
Virgin Group founder Richard Branson took to social media to publicize his opinion that Russia's disrespect of the Budapest Memorandum deals a severe blow to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
Ukrainian Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko posts that nearly 21,000 Ukrainians have received "Own Business" grants in just over two years and highlights the "inspiring story" of one of them.
Olga Balytska, head of real estate and infrastructure at PwC Ukraine and advisor to the Kyiv mayor on urban development, recaps recent events and achievements of New European Bauhaus (NEB) as it seeks to encourage a green, sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine.
UNDP Ukraine posted about testing, with the support of UNDP, showcasing technologies of four Ukrainian companies that "demonstrated how integrated sensors, drones, and artificial intelligence (AI) can detect mines and other explosive devices from several meters above ground."
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