To understand the overall situation in Ukraine, you have to spend a lot of time searching for information in various sources and putting it together into a puzzle.
The Ukrainian government is preparing for one of the most challenging budget cycles in recent years: in 2026, the country will need from $8 billion to $19 billion in additional funding, depending on the development of the security situation. This gap in forecasts indicates deep uncertainty caused by the long war, high defense spending and instability of foreign aid.
According to Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko, the budget for next year is being formed with the assumption that hostilities will continue. This means that spending on the army, social support and critical infrastructure will remain at record levels. Despite the government’s efforts to optimize spending, the deficit remains significant - about $10 billion has not yet been confirmed as a source of coverage.
The key donors remain the G7 countries, the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.
https://fbc.biz.ua/news/ekonomika-uk/ukrayina-gotuye-byudzhet-2026-defitsit-42-mlrd-poshuk-finansuvannya-trivaye-na-tli-vijni/In the first six months of 2025, the European Union transferred 10.1 billion euros to Ukraine, obtained from the proceeds of the frozen assets of the Central Bank of russia, the Welt am Sonntag newspaper reported on Saturday, August 23, citing data from the European Commission.
https://www.dw.com/uk/es-u-2025-vze-peredav-ukraini-ponad-10-mlrd-evro-z-dohodiv-vid-zamorozenih-aktiviv-rf/a-73740119?maca=ukr-rss-ukrnet-ukr-all-3816-xmlInside the country, the main method of state action remains coercion. In my dreams, Ukraine should develop like South Korea, but in reality it is becoming more and more like North Korea. The war has become a very convenient excuse for the authorities to introduce dictatorship and totalitarianism. This may indeed serve the development of the country, but is this the direction that Ukrainians sought for their country, fighting for their freedom for centuries? Is Ukraine's freedom worth the price of Ukrainians' lack of freedom?
The prominent Soviet writer of Ukrainian origin, Vasily Grossman, wrote about the historical development of russia through lack of freedom, contrasting it with Western development based on freedom: The evolution of the West was fertilized by the growth of freedom; russia’s evolution was fertilized by the growth of slavery. This is the abyss that divides russia and the West. The history of humanity is the history of human freedom. The growth of human potentiality is expressed, above all, in the growth of freedom. Freedom is not, as Engels claimed, “the recognition of necessity.”
Freedom is the direct opposite of necessity; freedom is necessity overcome. Progress, in essence, is the progress of human freedom. What is life itself, if not freedom? The evolution of life is the evolution of freedom. russia has always evolved in a peculiar way; what has evolved has been the degree of non-freedom. Year by year serfdom grew harsher and the peasants’ right to their land more tenuous. Meanwhile, russian science, technology, and learning continued to advance, merging with the growth of slavery.
The most important principle of the State Stalin constructed is that it is a State without freedom. In this country, huge factories, artificial seas, canals, and hydroelectric power stations do not serve people; they serve a State without freedom. In this State a man cannot sow what he wants to sow. A man is not the master of the field on which he works; he is not the owner of the apple trees he grows or of the milk he produces. Whatever the earth bears, it bears according to the instructions of the State without freedom. In this State not only are the national minorities deprived of their freedom but so is the russian nation itself. Where there is no individual freedom, there can be no national freedom—since national freedom is, above all, the freedom of the individual human being. In this State there is no such thing as society. Society is founded on people’s free intimacy and free antagonism—and in a State without freedom, free intimacy and free hostility are unthinkable. (c) Everything Flows by Vasily Grossman
https://oceanofpdf.com/authors/vasily-grossman/pdf-epub-everything-flows-by-vasily-grossman-download/Since a large part of Ukrainians became de facto slaves, the attitude towards them both in their own country and abroad will only worsen.
The Cabinet of Ministers proposes to conduct criminal prosecution and impose penalties in absentia on conscripts and reservists who are abroad beyond the permitted period.
https://sud.ua/uk/news/publication/339160-zaochnye-shtrafy-do-170-tysyach-grn-byudzhet-mozhet-znachitelno-popolnitsya-za-schet-prizyvnikov-i-voennoobyazannykh-za-granitseyBut Ukrainians are not the only ones in the world. While many people have the freedom to travel, citizens in some countries face strict restrictions on leaving their homeland. In certain nations, government policies, political concerns, or strict social rules limit the freedom to travel abroad. According to the 2023 Human Rights Watch report and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), these restrictions are particularly tight in the following countries.
1. North Korea
North Korea is considered the most restrictive country in the world in terms of travel freedom. Citizens are rarely, if ever, allowed to travel abroad without government approval. Strict controls over movement prevent citizens from leaving or interacting with other countries.
2. Eritrea
Eritrea, located in East Africa, has also been called an open-air prison due to its severe restrictions on movement. Many Eritreans have been conscripted into indefinite military service, which further limits their freedom to leave the country.
3. Syria
Due to the ongoing civil conflict, Syrian citizens face severe restrictions on movement. Many Syrians who attempt to flee face legal and logistical barriers, and those suspected of leaving for political reasons may face repercussions if they return.
4. Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan is one of the most isolated countries in Central Asia, and the government imposes strict rules on travel. Only a small number of people are granted permission to travel abroad, and many are monitored even after leaving.
5. Cuba
While Cuba has recently lifted many restrictions, its citizens still face barriers when trying to leave. Those who want to travel abroad need government approval, and many face long wait times or denials, especially if they are considered politically sensitive.
https://tribuneonlineng.com/japa-5-countries-where-citizens-arent-allowed-to-leave/The paradox is that even from the territories occupied by russia, everyone can freely leave if they do not want to stay there, which cannot be said about Ukraine.
More than £300m given to English councils to help Ukrainian refugees into accommodation has not been spent, while thousands of them face homelessness. Freedom of information requests to 150 councils in England, shared with the Guardian, identified that £327m – about a third of the £1bn budget – was still sitting in council bank accounts more than three years after russia invaded Ukraine. Most of the funds councils have spent have been used to pay staff and partner organisations. Only £22m has been spent on temporary accommodation for Ukrainians and £15m to help them into private rented accommodation.
Many Ukrainians struggle to find accommodation in the private rented sector because of the need to provide a deposit, something councils can help with but which some Ukrainians say in practice can be slow, bureaucratic and difficult to access. Finding a UK guarantor can also be difficult and those unable to speak English struggle to negotiate with landlords.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/18/over-300m-given-to-english-councils-to-help-house-ukrainian-refugees-unspentFirst Lady Olena Zelenska, citing the data of the study “Index of the Future: Professional Expectations and Development of Adolescents in Ukraine”, stated that 82% of Ukrainian adolescents retain an optimistic vision of their future. The wife of the President of Ukraine said this during a speech at the annual educational conference “August”, which is held by the Ministry of Education.
https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-society/4027982-zelenska-82-ukrainskih-pidlitkiv-zberigaut-obnadijlive-bacenna-svogo-majbutnogo.htmlSounds optimistic, but how true is it?
Only 48 state higher education institutions accepted more than a thousand applicants, said former Deputy Minister of Education and Science Mykhailo Vynnytsky.
https://lb.ua/society/2025/08/20/692187_pevnoi_miti_stalo_zrozumilo_shcho_mi.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawMSvaZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHtxzf44TtSfUvhSAWu3z0NCCTfu3cixU7DqeftFFBPI3u1x0xRP1QCQnWqg0_aem_ns_hjxekJKkYd6G1ue33cw
