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The sixth Supervisory Board of the Ukraine Investment Framework (UIF) has approved a new package of eight programs worth a total of €1.5 billion to support key sectors of Ukraine. This was reported by the European Union Delegation to Ukraine.

The programs are expected to mobilize €3.4 billion in new investments and will support the energy sector, education, telecommunications, agriculture, and small businesses. They will also finance the construction of shelters in educational institutions.

For the first time, the UIF will also allocate funding for dual-use technologies and strategic industries, the EU representation noted, adding that this aligns with the commitments of the European Commission.

The new programs will be implemented by financial institutions, some of which already cooperate with the European Commission in Ukraine — including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, KfW, and International Finance Corporation — as well as new partners such as Finnvera, Bpifrance, and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti.

Ukraine’s international reserves decreased in February 2026 by $2.91 billion, or 5.0%, reaching nearly $54.8 billion as of March 1. This was reported by the National Bank of Ukraine.

“According to preliminary data, Ukraine’s international reserves as of March 1, 2026 amounted to $54,753.4 million. In February they decreased by 5.0%. This dynamic was driven by the NBU’s foreign exchange interventions and the country’s debt payments in foreign currency. These operations were only partially offset by inflows from international partners and from the placement of foreign-currency domestic government bonds,” the statement said.

Despite the decline, the regulator noted that the current level of reserves remains sufficient to maintain the stability of the foreign exchange market.

Overall, several factors influenced the reserves’ dynamics in February. In particular, $1 billion was credited to the government’s foreign currency accounts at the National Bank, including $690.8 million through World Bank accounts under the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration for Ukraine initiative of the Group of Seven, and $309.6 million from the placement of foreign-currency domestic government bonds.

At the same time, the government of Ukraine paid $804.1 million for servicing and repaying public debt in foreign currency, including $472.2 million for servicing and redeeming domestic government bonds and $331.9 million to other creditors. In addition, Ukraine paid $279.7 million to the International Monetary Fund.

On Ukraine’s foreign exchange market in February, the National Bank sold nearly $2.99 billion, which is $0.74 billion, or 19.8%, less than in January.

The revaluation of financial instruments in February increased the value of reserves by $152.5 million.

“The current level of international reserves is sufficient to cover 5.7 months of future imports,” the National Bank concluded.

During the first two months of the year, more than UAH 4.2 billion of the so-called “Google tax” was paid into the state budget. This tax is paid by foreign companies that provide electronic services to Ukrainian users. This was reported by Acting Head of the State Tax Service of Ukraine, Lesia Karnaukh.

This amount is UAH 0.7 billion higher than in the same period last year.

According to Karnaukh, the leading companies paying the tax remain Apple, Google, Valve Corporation, Meta Platforms, Sony, Etsy, and Netflix.

As of today, 151 non-resident entities supplying electronic services to individuals within the customs territory of Ukraine have registered as VAT payers.

“The payment of this tax is an important element of fair taxation of the digital economy and contributes to additional revenues for the State Budget of Ukraine,” Karnaukh added.

Shares of Ziff Davis surged 60% after the company announced it had entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Connectivity division to Accenture for $1.2 billion, according to Reuters.

The U.S.-based Ziff Davis agreed to sell its Connectivity division, which includes the Speedtest app by Ookla and the outage monitoring service Downdetector, to consulting firm Accenture.

The sale price is subject to certain adjustments at closing. The proceeds will be taxed in accordance with applicable law.

In 2025, the Connectivity division generated $231 million in revenue, accounting for approximately 16% of Ziff Davis’ total revenue. The company expects the division’s financial results to be classified as discontinued operations in its consolidated financial statements for both the current and prior periods, beginning with the first quarter of fiscal year 2026.

The proceeds are planned to be used for general corporate purposes and capital allocation in line with the company’s debt obligations.

The deal is expected to close in the coming months. Until then, Ziff Davis will continue to operate the division.

Ziff Davis’ financial advisors on the transaction were Evercore and Citi, while legal counsel was provided by Kirkland & Ellis.

The stock market in South Korea suffered its sharpest decline on March 4. The KOSPI plunged 12.1% by the end of the session to 5,093.54 points, marking the worst two-day drop since the 2008 financial crisis, according to Bloomberg.

At the start of trading, the index had already fallen more than 8%, triggering an automatic trading halt. Volumes surged amid panic selling. The decline was exacerbated by the index’s high concentration, with nearly half of its capitalization accounted for by a handful of technology companies. Shares of Samsung Electronics dropped nearly 12%, while SK Hynix fell about 10%.

Additional pressure came from a sharp weakening of the national currency. The South Korean won surpassed 1,500 per U.S. dollar during trading for the first time in 17 years. The Bank of Korea said it stands ready to take measures to curb volatility and “herd behavior” among investors.

South Korea’s finance minister stated that the sell-off was driven by external shocks rather than domestic economic problems.

The market came under pressure amid a sharp rise in oil prices and escalating conflict in Iran. Brent futures climbed to nearly $84 per barrel. Daniel Yoo, a market strategist at Yuanta Securities, noted that South Korea is heavily dependent on oil prices and vulnerable to their fluctuations. The country is the world’s fourth-largest oil importer.

Oil prices could exceed $100 per barrel if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to tanker traffic for another five weeks, according to a forecast by analysts at Goldman Sachs Group Inc..

This week, Brent crude climbed above $85 per barrel amid concerns over supply disruptions from the Middle East following the start of military actions by the United States and Israel against Iran. Tehran retaliated with strikes on Israel and several Persian Gulf countries, affecting energy infrastructure in the region. Tanker passage through the Strait of Hormuz — which accounts for about 20% of global oil flows — has effectively halted due to Iranian threats.

Goldman analysts raised their average Brent price forecast for this year to $71 per barrel from $64, and for WTI to $67 from $60.

They also increased their Brent price forecast for the second quarter of 2026 by $10, to $76 per barrel, noting that restrictions on oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz would lead to lower OECD inventories and reduced production in Middle Eastern countries.

“Oil price increases could prove even more significant than our estimates suggest, as prolonged supply disruptions may lengthen the time between the restoration of output and its full recovery,” Goldman said in its report.

State-owned QatarEnergy has declared force majeure on supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and related products following the suspension of production amid Iranian attacks on its facilities in Qatar.

QatarEnergy is one of the world’s largest exporters of LNG.

In recent days, the company suspended LNG production and related output after Iranian attacks targeted facilities in the industrial cities of Ras Laffan and Mesaieed. One drone struck a power plant water reservoir, while another hit a QatarEnergy industrial site.

Qatar is the world’s largest LNG exporter, accounting for roughly 20% of the global market.

Earlier, Qatar halted LNG production, while Saudi Arabia shut down its largest oil refinery. In addition, oil and gas facilities in Iraqi Kurdistan and Israel have also been closed.

Fuel prices in Germany have surged sharply, with the price of gasoline at some stations already exceeding €2.40 per liter, according to Bild.

Data from the Benzinpreise portal show that the most expensive station in the country is currently ESSO A3 Donautal West, located near the city of Passau. Here, a liter of Super gasoline costs €2.479 (about UAH 125), while diesel and Super E10 are priced at €2.419 (around UAH 121).

The station is situated directly on the A3 motorway near the Austrian border, along a major transit route toward Vienna. Due to the lack of competition and alternative refueling options, prices at such highway stations are traditionally higher — and in times of crisis, the markup becomes even more noticeable.

As a result, filling a 50-liter tank with Super gasoline at this station would cost drivers nearly €124. By comparison, at the national average price of €1.895 per liter, the same tank would cost about €94.75.

The conflict in the Middle East has been causing nervousness in oil markets for several days. Any disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of global oil flows are typically transported, immediately impact prices.

Head of the Parliamentary Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy Danylo Hetmantsev has urged fuel market participants not to exploit panic sentiment to generate excess profits amid rising fuel prices. The lawmaker wrote about this on Telegram.

“Come to your senses. Don’t force us to обратиться to the Antimonopoly Committee,” the MP wrote.

Hetmantsev acknowledged that the fuel sector is a business focused on profit, but stressed that during wartime — when a significant part of the country relies on generators — the market also bears social responsibility.

According to him, the current price spike has a “very limited cause-and-effect link” to the war in Iran, particularly given the time gap between the events and any real impact on supplies.

Analysts from the OSINT project DeepState said that major fuel retailers raised prices taking advantage of global developments to increase profits, while understanding that the situation in the Persian Gulf has not yet affected the market.

“There is enough reserve to sell fuel at the old price for about a month, and only afterward could the situation in the Middle East begin influencing price formation. It is important to note that this concerns major companies, which set the tone for market pricing. For now, they do not plan to lower prices,” the statement said.

Iraq has halted oil exports from the Kurdistan region to the Turkish port of Port of Ceyhan, according to Bloomberg, citing sources.

The transportation of around 200,000 barrels of oil per day was suspended after producers reduced output as a precaution amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.

Currently, only about 50,000 barrels per day are being produced in the region for domestic consumption, sources said.

According to Iraq Business News, Gulf Keystone Petroleum (GKP) announced a temporary shutdown of production at the Shaikan field in Kurdistan, citing a deterioration in the regional security situation. Canada’s ShaMaran Petroleum Corp. said it had received notice from HKN Energy Ltd., the operator of the Atrush and Sarsang blocks in the Kurdistan region, about the temporary suspension of production at both fields for the same reason.

As reported by Daily News, Iraq’s Oil Ministry has asked several producers in the country to cut output. The ministry explained that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted international shipping and prevented tankers from entering ports. A shortage of vessels at Iraq’s southern ports and reduced exports at certain terminals have led to critically high storage levels.

Iraq produced 4.157 million barrels per day in January.