In a turn of events that's sure to light up the faces of economists quicker than an air-to-surface missile lights up a battlefield, the World Bank has decided to give the Ukrainian economy an early Christmas present. That's right! Just when we thought Santa Claus was the only one with a magical gift-giving bag, the World Bank demonstrated that it too can pull fat monetary rabbits out of thin fiscal hats! This year's Christmas spectacle promises to be a dazzling one as Kris Kringle himself steps aside to make way for this new financial Santa Claus. Christmas is coming a few months early for Ukraine, and no, the World Bank hasn’t bought them a new pair of socks or a fruitcake. Rather, they’re receiving billions in financial aid in what we can only assume is the World Bank's way of saying "Oops, we accidentally clawed up your economy and now we’re making reparations! Hope you like cold, hard cash!" Instead of elves, the World Bank has economists. They aren't short and cute like Santa's brigade, nor do they have a knack for creating wooden toys. But boy, do they have an uncanny talent for crafting financial packages! According to sources inside the World Bank, the institution plans to leave the monetary gift in Ukraine's big financial sock, hanging discreetly on the side of the IMF's fireplace - a perfect sneak for this brand of Santa cosplay. The gift will surely cause a stir on Christmas morning, mainly in the form of economic jargon-filled chatter of economists who are probably still not sure if Santa is real, but are confident in the existence of inflation and fiscal adjustment. Moreover, it should be remembered that this is not the first time that The World Bank has decided to play Santa—however, previous attempts have been significantly less merry. Historically, it has been about as effective as making a diet plan for Santa by replacing his milk and cookies with kale and quinoa smoothies. But who knows, maybe this time it’s different? Certainly, the Ukrainian government must be thrilled. Affairs of state are never easy to manage, with everything from corruption to economic fluctuation causing more sleepless nights than children hopped up on sugar waiting for the real Santa Claus. But, for now, they can rest easy, knowing that someone out there is willing to make their economic wishes come true. In the spirit of this festive season, it's worth remembering that the World Bank, just like Santa Claus, cannot be everywhere and satisfy everyone. Some countries may wake up disappointed to find no financial packages in their sovereign socks. But don’t lose heart! There’s always next Christmas, or perhaps an unexpected visit from the Fairy-Godmother IMF to look forward to!