• The Netherland’s Senate ratified the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, marking the final national ratification since the process began in 2014.

• Ukraine’s visa free regime with the EU will sharply increase Ukraine’s tourist flow to Greece, Italy and Spain. According to Interfax-Ukraine, tour operator TUI Ukraine is seeing demand for these destinations quadruple.

• The EU aims to approve new import quotas from Ukraine before July, Europeiska Pravda reports. This means the quotas could be approved before the upcoming EU-Ukraine summit.

• The blockade of Donbas is to resume by mid-June, Interfax Ukraine reports. According to spokesman Anatoliy Vynohrodsky, the blockade HQ will increase its activity, but he is not detailing which measures will be taken.

• Russia has nearly completed a new railroad line that will bypass Ukraine, several news media report. Constructed by Russian military railroad engineers, the new line runs down Ukraine’s eastern border, connecting Russia’s Rostov and Voronezh regions.

• Ukraine may soon halt all passenger rail travel to Russia, Unian reported. This would mark another step in increasing isolation between the two countries after direct flights stopped in October 2015.

• A Ukrainian startup company has raised more than $50,000 through Kickstarter to manufacture solar energy generating blinds. According to Ukrinform, 207 investors contributed to Ukrainian Solar Gaps’ project.

• A new industrial park will open in Ukraine’s Cherkassy region, Unian reported. The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade has registered the park under the name ‘Zolotnosha’.

• A ship loaded with South African coal has arrived in Ukraine. Interfax Ukraine reported the vessel carrying 75,000 tons of anthracite docked at Yuzhny port near Odesa. Its cargo will soon be sent to Prydniprovska and Kryvy Rih thermal power plants.

• The deficit of Ukraine’s current account in April reached approximately $146 million, Interfax-Ukraine reported. This is in stark contrast with April 2016, when the current account had a surplus of $164 million.

For comments and news tips, please email UBJ AM editor Andrew Sweeney at andrew.sweeney@theubj.com