Day: September 16, 2025

Today, Ukraine faces two fundamental, vital challenges: how to end the war on the most favorable terms and how to ensure an accelerated recovery. In my view, both issues are closely tied to the development and preservation of strong U.S.-Ukraine relations.

Over the past year, we came closer to peace than we ever have since the war began. Thanks to U.S. mediation, several rounds of direct negotiations were held—something that had not happened since April 2022. A number of agreements on prisoner exchanges were reached. There was even a temporarily functioning agreement not to target energy infrastructure. The issue of a ceasefire was brought to the table.

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But at present, the diplomatic track has stalled. The aggressor is intensifying attacks on Ukrainian cities, energy facilities, enterprises, and infrastructure. At the same time, political circles in our allied countries—both in the U.S. and Europe—are increasingly speaking about a certain “Ukraine fatigue” and the futility of peace efforts. This is very bad news for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.

It is critically important for Ukraine that the U.S. maintains its leadership in the negotiation process. If America now withdraws from its leadership role in diplomatic efforts to end the war, the bloodshed will only continue. Conversely, I am convinced that if U.S. mediation continues, peace will be achieved. The key task is to bring Russia to the table for productive negotiations on a ceasefire and discussions of a just peace agreement. This difficult mission can only be carried out by American diplomacy.

The second major issue is post-war recovery. Preliminary estimates suggest that a full-scale development and reconstruction program for Ukraine will require over $500 billion. This is a massive amount, but more importantly, it is a massive undertaking—mobilizing domestic investment and creating the conditions to attract foreign capital. In this regard, close cooperation with the EU and its member states is essential, but so too is a strategic partnership with the United States.

Cooperation with the U.S. can be multifaceted. It’s not just about arms supply and joint weapons production, but also about collaboration in the energy sector—primarily in developing new energy capacities.

One promising area is nuclear energy. There is potential for establishing a full nuclear fuel cycle enterprise in partnership with U.S. companies. Now, as global attitudes toward nuclear energy are shifting and the sector experiences a kind of renaissance, such cooperation would be especially promising. American companies could also play a vital role in the revival of Ukrainian industry, particularly in engineering and manufacturing. Investments in new logistics infrastructure, especially in Ukraine’s Black Sea region, are another key area. We also seek to attract U.S. financial companies to the Ukrainian market and welcome their support in rebuilding and developing Ukraine’s stock market.

We already have the so-called “Resource Agreement,” which envisions the creation of an investment fund. However, this should not be the only format. We need comprehensive U.S. trade and investment agreements. The goal is to harmonize tariffs and eliminate non-tariff barriers to increase the volume of foreign trade.

Bilateral trade between our countries is estimated to be less than $5 billion annually, with Ukrainian exports to the U.S. under $1 billion. We are very interested in expanding access for Ukrainian companies to the U.S. market on mutually beneficial terms—primarily through the creation of joint ventures and attracting direct investments from American companies. Of course, this requires the establishment of proper conditions and the provision of relevant guarantees, which could become part of a future investment agreement.

All of these agreements must be adopted transparently, clearly, and without legal loopholes—unlike the case when the Ukrainian parliament voted on the so-called “resource agreement” with reservations and exceptions. The foundation of U.S.-Ukraine relations must rest on the principles of honesty, transparency, and mutual trust and mutual benefit, all properly enshrined, regulated, and guaranteed in law.

I firmly believe that cooperation with the United States is not only beneficial but essential for Ukraine. And this is not just about economics—it is a crucial element of our national security. It is a chance to work with the most modern, technologically advanced companies in the world. Getting there means building a basis of trust that is enduring and founded in common values like democracy, competition and fairness. Ukrainians are ready for a peaceful future in which we can mutually prosper with proven friends.

• Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams is recruiting franchisees for the first time, the company said.
• The brand is looking to open franchised scoop shops in the Midwest and the Southeast.
• The company has about 90 scoop shops around the US.

If you’ve ever wanted to run an ice cream shop, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams has a proposition for you.

The ice cream brand plans to recruit franchisees for the first time, the company told Business Insider.

Jeni’s will be looking for franchisees starting this fall to open stores in Southeastern and Midwestern states — both regions where the brand has already built a network of company-operated locations, said Sean Bock, senior advisor of franchising at Jeni’s.

While Jeni’s doesn’t have a set number of franchisees that it’s looking for, Bock said that the company is looking to “go overboard” in supporting its first six to eight franchisees before it considers a broader rollout of the model.

“We want to take a methodical approach” that emphasizes “quality over quantity,” Bock told Business Insider.

Bock said that Jeni’s is looking for people who have previous experience running franchises. “They know how to operate a food business,” he said.

Other franchisees could include fans of Jeni’s who are looking to make a career pivot, he said. “There’s going to be a small percentage who’s going through life right now and saying, ‘I want a change,'” he said.

Franchising is one strategy that has allowed some of the world’s biggest restaurant chains, from McDonald’s to Starbucks, to grow their businesses.

For prospective franchisees, the model represents a fast track to business ownership. Restaurant chains provide their franchisees with an already-developed brand name, menu, and set of policies. In exchange, franchisees typically pay fees, such as one-time licensing payments or shares of the sales that their locations generate, to the company.

Opening a scoop shop under the Jeni’s name will require a total investment of between $696,000 and $1,265,750, according to a draft of the company’s franchise disclosure document. In 2024, the average annual net sales from a Jeni’s shop were $997,027.

Jeni’s operates about 90 company-run scoop shops. It sees franchising as a part of its path to long-term growth, but making that number as big as possible as fast as possible isn’t the goal of finding franchisees, interim CEO Poe Timmons said.

The company wants franchisees to align with values such as being inclusive and connecting with the community. Many of Jeni’s current shops, for instance, host fundraisers for local community organizations, she said.

Since Jeni Britton founded the company in 2002, the brand has worked with suppliers, such as dairy farmers, who abide by its “fellowship model,” which requires fair labor practices and environmental sustainability, among other criteria. “We believe it takes a community to create exceptional ice cream,” the company says on its website.

The company thinks about franchising the same way, Timmons said.

“Franchising has been a part of our long-range growth plan for almost ever,” Timmons said.

Bock said that Jeni’s wants its franchised stores to be run as well as its current company-owned locations.

“We want our customers to walk into any Jeni’s and not say, ‘Oh, this is a franchise, or this is a company-owned store,'” Bock said.