IMF

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the European Union and the International Monetary Fund understand Ukraine's need for help financing its budget deficit. The remark comes as Ukraine continues to rely heavily on Western financial support to cover government spending during the war with Russia. The term is circulating as news headlines based on a single Reuters report, and beyond Zelenskiy's statement there is little detail in the available posts about the size of the gap or any new funding commitments.

El Salvador has increased its Bitcoin holdings to 7,787 BTC, adding to its national reserves. The country, which adopted Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021 under President Nayib Buares government, has continued buying the cryptocurrency despite conditions attached to its IMF loan program requiring limits on public-sector crypto exposure. Observers remain divided on whether the strategy will pay off as Bitcoin prices fluctuate.

On this day in 2000, around 20,000 anti-globalization protesters clashed violently with police in Prague during the annual summits of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The demonstrations, part of a wave of protest against global financial institutions, are being recalled in travel and history posts marking the anniversary.