The president of Ukraine characterises his country’s economic outlook in the face of the current crisis as ‘difficult but not tragic’.

Ukraine’s banking system, loaded with external debt, has been one of the most exposed to the global credit crunch. IMF intervention is plugging the leaks for the time being but the country’s economic prospects remain bleak. Writer Nick Kochan.

The Russian banking sector has been transformed by the crisis in 2008, but signs of the change were already clear in the end-2007 data included in these rankings, as the difficulties of raising capital began to bite. Writer Philip Alexander.

As Russia undergoes its own financial crisis, the country’s authorities appear to be encouraging consolidation to remove the weaker players. But buyers will be taking a close look at their assets. Writer Ben Aris.

One of the world’s fastest-growing regions during the boom years, eastern Europe became one of the major victims of the credit crunch as aggressive lending strategies turned sour. But there are still plenty of banks in a position to thrive. Writer Jan Cienski in Warsaw.

Lowered oil prices and political fear have rocked the balance of Russia’s economy, but there is still some cause for optimism.

Croatia has not been immune to the global liquidity squeeze, but measures taken by its central bank in recent years to avoid an uncontrolled build-up of foreign debt mean the banking system may be less vulnerable than some of its local counterparts. Writer Nick Saywell.

Russian financing is one of the many areas in which banks have been left nursing losses. So how were the banks lending and how have they withstood the recent equity market rout? Writer Natasha de Terán.

Slovakia’s qualification for eurozone entry is a rare success story in a tough year for the country. The qualification brings new opportunities for the banks, and also some logistical challenges. Writer Philip Alexander.

Russian federal government finances have never looked healthier, but rising inflation, growing regional divides and the fallout from the conflict in Georgia mean finance minister Alexei Kudrin still has his work cut out.