You're reading: Ukraine Digest: Top news of Thursday, Dec. 19

Ukraine and Russia reached a preliminary agreement on gas transit contract during trilateral talks with EU in Berlin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin held his annual lengthy press conference in Moscow. Here’s what he said about Ukraine.

The Kyiv appellate court adjourned its Dec. 19 hearing on an April ruling that the nationalization of PrivatBank was illegal. The National Bank and PrivatBank want to challenge that decision, which favored the oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, who owned the bank until December 2016 when it was taken over by the state.

On the same day, PrivatBank sued Discount Bank and Kolomoisky for alleged $600-million fraud in Israel

New Electoral Code has been adopted with open party lists, 40% women quota, and more.

The Ukrainian parliament will have its last session this year on Dec. 20. Over the last few days, protesters have held several simultaneous rallies on various issues.

Ex-president Poroshenko’s administration allegedly paid media, bloggers to sway public opinion. New documents obtained by the Kyiv Post suggest that during ex-President Petro Poroshenko’s 2014-2019 term in office, his allies regularly paid media outlets for favorable coverage and directed smear campaigns against his critics on social networks.

VIDEO: Good Bread from Good People is the first bakery in Ukraine that employs people with mental health issues who usually struggle to find work elsewhere.

Where to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Kyiv. The best parties 

Kyiv Post reporter Illia Ponomarenko went to the Democratic Republic of the Congo with the Ukrainian peacekeeping mission. He wrote a travel piece on a city of Goma that can hardly be called a tourist destination.

Kyiv Post: Ukraine’s Friend and Foe of the week