KYIV, Feb 2 – Ukraine’s economy probably expanded 2.1% on the year in 2017, a better pace than expected, after exporters had reoriented to other suppliers and markets following suspended trade with Donetsk and Luhansk.

The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) said the negative impact from the trade blockade appeared to be ‘-0.9’ percentage points compared with originally expected ‘-1.3’ points.

"The negative impact from stopping trade with government uncontrolled territories for real GDP in 2017 was lower than expected,” the NBU said in an inflation report Friday.