Today's Contents
Just The Facts:
- Ukraine ready to discuss deal for gas transit to Europe, prime minister says
- Japanese company to start making pickup trucks in Ukraine with local partners from kits
Here's What They Think:
- E-International Relations: Immediate ceasefire in Ukraine could harm US interests
- Eurasia Review: Putin's strategic gambit in Ukraine backfired
- ERR: Nuclear deterrence only guarantee of Ukraine's sovereignty
Sober Second Thought:
- War in Ukraine significantly affects diabetes patients, study finds
Ukraine ready to discuss deal for gas transit to Europe, prime minister says
Ukraine is ready to discuss a deal to allow gas transit through its territory to western Europe, said Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal during a meeting with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico.
Shymhal stressed that Ukraine's agreement with Russia on gas transit comes to an end on Jan 1, 2025. He said Ukraine has done much in recent years with EU countries to "ensure reliable gas supplies and prevent the use of any type of energy as a weapon, which has been a common practice for Russia."
"Ukraine is ready to fulfill the obligations that we have assumed within the framework of the Association Agreement with the EU," said Shymhal via the Telegram messaging app.
"Therefore, if the European Commission officially addresses Ukraine regarding the transit of any gas, except Russian, we will of course discuss it and are ready to implement the relevant agreements based on the principles of energy security, both for the entire EU and for each European nation," Shymhal added.
Shymhal's comments come amid intensified efforts from several European countries to secure energy supplies during winter. Slovakia and other countries receive gas from Russia through pipelines in Ukraine, according to a Reuters report.
Next year's internal plans of Russian state-owned company Gazprom outline a base-case scenario with no more gas flows to Europe through Ukraine after Dec. 31, Reuters reported in November, citing an unnamed source.
Before the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia was Europe's number one natural gas supplier, but has since lost most of its European customer.
Japanese company to start making pickup trucks in Ukraine with local partners from kits
Several Ukrainian manufacturers and a Japanese engineering company plan to make Japanese pickup trucks using semi-disassembled kits (SKD) technology in Ukraine, Ukrainian Economy Minister Svyrydenko said at a business forum organized by the Japan External Trade Organization.
"Together with Ukrainian partners, the Japanese company plans to start producing pickup trucks using large-unit assembly technology, and in the future they plan to switch to small-unit production (CKD)," said Svyrydenko.
Svyrydenko said more than 40 key Japanese companies are operating in Ukraine at the moment, adding that the "government, for its part, offers support in the form of compensation for projects with significant investments and tax and customs benefits within industrial parks."
Investors in Ukraine can now get war risk insurance, Svyrydenko said. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Aon launched the Ukraine Recovery and Reconstruction Guarantee Facility earlier this month, following several similar measures by others.
Svyrydenko said Japan allocated around €1.25 billion through NEXI initiatives, which aims to provide reliable financial support for Japanese companies ready to invest and operate in the Ukraine.
The 9th Japan-Ukraine Economic Joint Conference was held in Japan yesterday. Attendees included Japan's Minister of Economy Koga Yuichiro and Japan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Fujii Hisayuki, according to a statement by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The key highlights of the meeting were budgetary support, strategic projects with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), energy security, and industrial development, said Svyrydenko via LinkedIn.
In 2024, Japan provided a total $4.2 billion in budgetary support to Ukraine.
"We appreciate Japan’s continued commitment to supporting Ukraine through the G7 ERA mechanism, utilizing frozen russian sovereign assets to finance critical needs," commented Svyrydenko.
E-International Relations: Immediate ceasefire in Ukraine could harm US interests
An immediate ceasefire in Ukraine could harm US national interests in the long term as a subsequent peace deal could under current conditions fail to align with US objectives such as upholding Ukraine's sovereignty, ensuring a balance between both sides in the war, and strengthening US-European relations, among others, an associate professor of Asian studies at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in New York, Jinghao Zhou, wrote in an op-ed for E-International Relations.
Euroasia Review: Putin's strategic gambit in Ukraine backfired
Russia's President Vladimir Putin has failed in his intent to swiftly defeat Ukraine, planned as bait in Russia's geopolitical play, when NATO provided coordinated support to Ukraine, which has ultimately led to the weakening of Russia's position in Syria and elsewhere in the world, Haluk Direskeneli, a freelance consultant and energy analyst, wrote in an op-ed for the Euroasia Review.
ERR: Nuclear deterrence only guarantee of Ukraine's sovereignty
Deterring Russia and preventing renewed aggression after a ceasefire requires Ukraine to be protected under a nuclear umbrella, regardless of its NATO membership status, as attacking a country without the protection of a nuclear umbrella is significantly less risky and far more enticing, Kalev Stoicescu, chairman of the National Defense Committee in Estonian parliament, wrote in an op-ed for the Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR).
War in Ukraine significantly worsens diabetes care, study finds
The war in Ukraine has significantly impacted individuals with type 2 diabetes on multiple levels, a study conducted by a group of Ukrainian scientists published in The Lancet medical journal found.
The research employed a survey-based methodology, collecting responses from individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes across various regions of Ukraine, with participants providing data on their health status, access to care, and diabetes management challenges during the conflict.
According to the study, 54% of respondents reported difficulty accessing insulin and other essential medications during the war. Furthermore, disruptions in transportation and supply chains were cited as key factors contributing to these challenges.
The findings highlighted that 62% of patients experienced worsening glycemic control, with stress, lack of proper nutrition, and inconsistent treatment being significant contributors. Additionally, over 40% of respondents reported delays or cancellations of regular medical check-ups.
The study also revealed that displaced individuals faced unique obstacles, such as relocation to areas with inadequate medical infrastructure. Among internally displaced individuals, 37% noted that their access to diabetes care had deteriorated substantially.
The authors of the study concluded that the ongoing war has exacerbated health disparities among individuals with chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes. They emphasized the urgent need for improved healthcare logistics and uninterrupted access to medications for affected populations.
The researchers recommended coordinated international assistance to stabilize the supply of diabetes medications and ensure continuity of care while stressing the importance of mental health support, and recognizing the role of psychological stress in worsening diabetic outcomes.
Overall, the study underscores the critical intersection of armed conflict and public health, calling for both immediate action and long-term strategies to protect vulnerable populations in Ukraine.
Yaroslava Savastieieva, deputy director of operations at the Ukraine-based European Business Association, recapped a webinar her association hosted on “Rebuilding Ukraine: What the Construction Machinery Industry Needs to Know.
Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko posted about a visit to Japan, including a meeting hosted by Japanese business federation Keidenran where "over 100 Japanese companies and 20 Ukrainian businesses explored collaborations across manufacturing, agriculture, trade, and IT."
The Ministry of Economy of Ukraine posted separately about the visit to Japan, saying discussions included:
▪️ "holding an annual forum on humanitarian demining of Ukraine in Japan in 2025;
▪️ potential opportunities for additional support for the Ukrainian energy sector;
▪️ continuation of humanitarian projects."
Aivaras Abromavicius, chairman of Ukrainian agricultural producer Agro Region, posted that the price of corn in Odesa rose to $205 a ton by the end of the year from $125 at the beginning, allowing his firm to focus on "improving the efficiency of our core agricultural production."
"I believe that for a medium-sized company like Agro Region it is very risky to independently enter into super large investment projects such as the construction of a biomethane plant which requires military risk insurance," Abromavicius said. "So instead we focus on smaller projects, increase operating efficiency but also use opportunity to decrease an already low level of debt."
Olga Batova posted that she has left her role as business development director at French firm Saint-Gobain and become CEO of EFI Group, a Ukrainian investment company specializing in industrial development.
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