IMF aid package, boycott of Olympics: last night's highlights

IMF program

Bloomberg, citing its own sources, reports that the International Monetary Fund is considering a multi-year aid package worth up to $16 billion.

The sources added that the program could be agreed upon by the end of March, and the first tranche would be disbursed in April at best.

At the same time, Ukraine will need to commit to a number of policy measures in addition to the successful completion of the four-month IMF program approved last year.

Boycott of Olympic Games

Ukraine may boycott the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris if Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to return to international sports competitions.

Tyshchenko's trip abroad

MP Mykola Tyshchenko, who was expelled from the Servant of the People party after a scandal over his trip to Thailand, said he was in Asia on an official trip that "all senior leaders were aware of."

"For example, there hasn't been a Ukrainian delegation in Vietnam since 2014. So I'm genuinely on an official trip to Asia right now. All senior managers are aware of this, as is the head of the faction," he wrote.

According to the MP, his first stop was in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam's largest city, where "during more than two weeks of work, the relevant documents were signed."

Abrams tanks

Politico, citing three informed sources, writes that the United States plans to send Kyiv Abrams main battle tanks in the advanced M1A2 configuration, rather than the older A1 version that the military has in storage.

However, the tanks will be deprived of the so-called secret armor, which includes depleted uranium.

Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff meeting

On January 26, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff. They discussed, among other things, countering missile threats from Russia, the situation at the front, the supply of weapons and equipment, and the training of soldiers abroad.

In a video message, the President said that the response to Russian missile attacks on Ukraine should be the defeat of the occupiers' ground forces.

Electricity situation

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that as of the evening of January 26, electricity supply was limited in most regions of Ukraine. The most difficult situation is now in Odesa, Lviv, Vinnytsia, Kyiv, Sumy, and Poltava oblasts.

The head of Ukrenergo, Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, said that the power system managed to quickly recover from the massive missile attack by the occupiers on January 26.

Grain initiative

Approximately 2-3 ships with agricultural products leave Ukrainian ports within the "grain corridor" every day. This is one of the lowest figures for all months of the grain initiative.

This is due to the artificial blocking of the grain corridor by Russian inspectors.

Energy hub

The European Union opened the rescEU energy hub in Poland. It will become a logistics center for the delivery of emergency energy aid to Ukraine amid Russia's deliberate attacks on energy infrastructure.

The EU has also already allocated €114 million to Poland to purchase generators for the hub's reserve. In the first phase, 1,000 new generators will be delivered to Ukraine.

Other news

• Japan's Cabinet of Ministers approved new sanctions against Russia. Starting February 3, the supply of goods that can enhance military capabilities is prohibited.
• Estonia asks Germany to allow re-export of cluster munitions to Ukraine.
• Russian troops are using mobile crematoria due to heavy losses.
• The EU plans to step up efforts to return illegal migrants home.
• The first political and security dialogue between the European Union and Armenia took place in Yerevan. The day before, an EU civilian mission was launched in the country.