From Democracy Digest:

…According to Transparency International’s 2018 Corruption Perception Index (CPI), Ukraine is ranked 120 out of 180 countries.

Ukraine’s underrated economy is poised for a strong 2020, Atlantic Council analyst Anders Åslund writes for UkraineAlert.

The partial restoration of relations between Russia and Ukraine over the past few weeks will not end the conflict in eastern Ukraine or lead to Russia returning the annexed territory of Crimea. But in energy terms the deal agreed last week is important for both countries, and potentially a significant success for Russian premier Vladimir Putin, Nick Butler writes for The Financial Times (HT:FDD).

Within the project “Strengthening democracy and building trust at local level in Ukraine”, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is launching a call to local experts for consultancy and expert support to selected Ukrainian municipalities implementing local initiatives on ethical, innovative and inclusive policies and practices…

Read the full article here.