The crisis in Ukraine shows no sign of abating and its impact is being felt across the rest of emerging Europe. Phil Bennett, deputy head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, explains why this is bad news for the region’s companies and what multilaterals can do to help.

As Europe has stagnated since the financial crisis, Russia proved an invaluable source of returns for a handful of lucky western banking groups. But with Putin on the offensive, the rouble on the slide and recession on the horizon, its days as an engine of regional growth look to be over.

If systemic risk in the banking system really has been reduced as much as chief executives say, why are regulators set to have an even greater impact in 2015?

It’s not enough simply to invest in technology infrastructure to bring down costs. Banks need to use digital products and services to reconnect with their customers.

Regulation now utterly dominates the banking industry and will have an even bigger impact in 2015, not just on bank capital and returns but on the entire legal structure of the industry.

The uncertainty for investors over bank litigation extends beyond hits to bank profits and so, potentially, their ability to pay dividends and service coupons on capital instruments and debt.

US fines provoke re-assessment; Dollar clearing in Europe considered

Goldman invests in big data analytics platform; Deutsche makes key hires in analytics and data.

M&A needs to be long term; Corporates under pressure to re-lever

US wealth to reach $54 trillion by 2018; European banks expand their efforts

The ferocity with which US regulators have pursued HSBC, Standard Chartered, Barclays, ING and most recently BNP Paribas for breaching sanctions, and the seemingly limitless fines violators have been hit with, speaks to a tightening of control and intensive monitoring of dollar clearing.

A barely noticed bank rescue in the Seychelles should be a warning to all. As the cost of compliance and enforcement risk drives global firms to cut back their correspondent networks, many banks are in danger of losing the vital lifeblood of a dollar-clearing partner.

“When these large global banks report their risk-weighted capital ratios, their creditworthiness is flattered because of their assessment of risks in the asset base. This is a fools-errand; it’s like asking a school-kid what grade they deserve”

“If you take into account the deals that people took a run at but didn’t get over the line there has been a staggering increase in activity”

Did you get a private island for Christmas? No? Poor you. It’s the latest trend. According to Alan O’Connor, director of the Debutesq Group, there has been a surge in enquiries for private islands recently “in particular from wealthy eastern Europeans and resort operators from Asia”.

Dwindling stocks of Yorkshire tea in Euromoney’s São Paulo office prompted an internet search that turned up Britsuperstore.com – a website that sends British consumables to far-flung nationals desperate to keep on eating or drinking a little taste of England.

Coutts International has plenty of attractive assets to offer its many possible new owners. Julius Baer looks the best fit.

As Christmas approached, a leaked internal memo from RBS’s managing director of branch and private banking, Jane Howard, revealed just how far the UK state-owned bank was prepared to take the season of goodwill.

Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds had to endure plenty of criticism for their investments in western banks during the financial crisis. They are looking far smarter now.

When JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon delivered the welcome news to employees that he had been given the all clear after a recent bout of throat cancer, senior managers in attendance rose to applaud.

Single currency set to cut debt costs; Diversifying trade from rampant Russia

Time is running out for Italy to make the reforms it needs to produce a self-sustaining recovery.

Sovereign signs up for credit rating; Multilaterals aim to boost banking sector

African DCM becoming more sophisticated; debt sustainability a concern.

Rationing increasingly possible; Stagnant economy slowed consumption

Reforms will not require more capital; More challenging year ahead

Corruption scandal stymies bond issues; Lack of supply may set stage for others

From the Volcker Rule to the EU’s proposed ring-fencing, inconsistent rules on bank structures, both within the EU and between the US and Europe, are the latest threat to the global banking model.

As 2014 came to an end Euromoney Research Group asked corporate funding officials for their views on key topics affecting companies in Central and Eastern Europe. From the fraught situation in Ukraine to plans for seeking international credit ratings, find the exclusive results of the survey here.

Foreign banks are finding it hard to make their operations in Hungary pay. They say they are still committed to the country. So what will they make of the finance minister’s public call for consolidation?