There can be no way of overstating the effect on Ukraine’s political affairs of the U.S. sanctions imposed on oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky – it is nothing short of a political earthquake.

  Ukrainian authorities say they will nationalise jet engine maker Motor Sich, majority-owned by Chinese companies “for the national security of the country”.

The pro-European opposition in Belarus had been marginalised and kept well out of political activity long before the 2020 election. The mass protests became for Lukashenko a testing ground of how effective the security apparatus was.

National Bank of Ukraine Governor Kyrylo Shevchenko was accused by his deputy of censorship and of shutting out his colleagues in policy decisions, re-igniting concerns about central bank independence.

There can be no way of overstating the effect on Ukraine’s political affairs of the U.S. sanctions imposed on oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky – it is nothing short of a political earthquake.

Ukraine proceeded grimly with its campaign to bring COVID under control - particularly outbreaks in the west of the country – but faced an equally tough problem by enlisting the president and a variety of celebrities to persuade a reluctant population to get vaccinated.

Slovakia's prime minister has apologised after joking in a radio interview that he offered to hand over a Ukrainian region to Russia in exchange for its COVID-19 vaccine.

By Vitaly Portnikov Officials at Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry keep saying they are working on organising a telephone conversation between President Volodymyr Zelensky and the new U.S. president.