This additional issue increased the total amount of Eurobonds in circulation with an interest rate of 6.876 percent to $1.25 billion.

The central bank said it was ready to raise the interest rate in future to 8.5 percent and to keep it at this level until the second quarter of 2022.

Until now Russia was dependent on pipelines crossing Ukraine to pump natural gas to Europe, earning Kyiv $2 billion a year.

The need to ensure women are given the tools to fulfil their potential is not just the key to a healthy society, Kozinchenko argues, but to economic success. While most Western countries, however imperfectly, offer women some chance to balance career and family life, it is an area in which emerging economies fall far behind.

Ukraine’s GDP grew by 6 percent year-on-year in the second quarter, the Economy Ministry said, reversing five consecutive quarters of negative growth.

The reality is none of the three countries are formal candidates for EU membership in the near future.