May 25, 2025 Ukraine and the World – Against russia’s Aggression. Sanctions in Action

Ukraine and the Swedish company SAAB are negotiating modernization of the soviet-era aircrafts with using modern avionics, including Swedish-made one.

“The most positive outcome of the technical talks between Ukraine and russia held last week in Istanbul is that 1,000 troops from each side are to be repatriated, and more than 400 of them have already returned,” said US Special Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg.

The EU’s Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova has advised those who “still doubt that russia wants the war to continue” to read the news about the May 24 night air attack on Ukrainian regions.

Commenting on the May 24 attack on Ukraine,  Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Margus Tsahkna emphasized that russia “did not feel enough pressure to stop”.

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The European Union is considering disconnecting more than 20 russian banks from the SWIFT system as part of a new package of sanctions against russia and new trade restrictions worth about EUR 2.5 billion. The EU may also reduce the ceiling price for russian oil to $45 a barrel and impose a ban on the construction of the “nord stream” gas pipeline.

In a joint operation, law enforcement officers  from the United States, Germany, France, Canada, the United Kingdom, Denmark and the Netherlands have uncovered a malware distribution network run by russian nationals. The US Department of Justice has announced that 16 people have been charged, including 48-year-old rustam gallyamov from moscow, 39-year-old aleksandr stepanov, and 34-year-old artem kalinkin from Novosibirsk. The  wanted list made by European law enforcement officials includes 18 suspects, believed to be involved in the creation of the Qakbot and Trickbot malware.

The growth rate of food sales in russia decreased significantly in the first quarter of 2024. From January to March, sales increased by only 2.1 % compared to the same period last year. For comparison, in the first quarter of 2023, the growth was 6.8 %, in the second – 6 %, in the third – 7.8 %, and in the fourth – 5.2 %. The slowdown is due to growing inflation. In March 2025, food prices increased by 12.4 % compared to the previous year. This figure is by 50 % higher than in March 2024, when inflation was 8.1 %. This has led to stagnation in demand for food products that were previously in stable demand.

The rf’s ministry of internal affairs is preparing to introduce a total ban on loans for citizens. If necessary, russians will be offered individual unblocking.

The state duma has drafted a law banning migrants from having more than one phone number. The deputies believe that this “privilege” should be reserved for russian citizens.

Every other russian is upset about the foreign brands’ withdrawal from the aggressor country. This applies to clothing, luxury products, cosmetics, cars, and even food. The most desirable brand for russians is McDonald’s, which is missed by more than half of the citizens. IKEA (50%) and Zara (45%) are also among the leaders.

Hundreds of workers hired to build the Baikal Mining and Processing Plant in Chukotka –one of the kremlin’s largest Arctic projects worth more than a trillion rubles – are stuck in shift camps, without pay or tickets home. Some workers stopped working due to non-payment of salaries, and in response, they are  no longer provided with food.

russian schoolchildren will be taught less about European countries and their cultural heritage, but instead will be offered to learn more about “friendly” belarus, dprk and China. All chapters related to European countries have been removed from the latest version of the textbook “The World Around Us. Form 3”. In particular, the 2024 edition does not include the chapters “In the North of Europe”, “What is Benelux”, “In the Center of Europe”, “On France and the United Kingdom”, and “In the South of Europe”.

russia has been banned from  participating  in the 2026 Olympic Hockey Tournament. The decision was made at the annual congress of the International Ice Hockey Federation.

The Ministry of Defense of Finland has sent to experts a draft resolution prohibiting states that threaten the country from buying real estate in it. Authorities of Finland consider russia and belarus to be such countries.

Within two months, in February and March 2022, more than 1,500 people were detained for anti-war rallies in belarus. For comparison, in russia, over 20,000 people were detained for anti-war rallies in almost a year, from February 24, 2022, to February 17, 2023. As of February 24, 2025, more than 220 people in belarus have been prosecuted for solidarity with Ukraine, of whom at least 106 are in custody. In russia – 1,200 people.

38 OSCE member states have called on belarusian authorities to immediately release the political prisoners. The statement was published by the British Foreign Office. The signatory countries remind that at least seven political prisoners have died in belarusian colonies since May 2021. They also remind that in 2024, the Vienna Mechanism on belarus was relaunched, but the belarusian leadership did not give a clear answer to the issues raised and made no progress in implementing the recommendations regarding the moscow mechanism of 2020 and 2023. The statement draws attention to the fact that the authorities still continue to arbitrarily detain people and, according to the UN Committee against Torture, systematically use torture in prisons.

The rb has added to the list of extremist materials a collectible coin from Cameroon, Snake Island Incident, dedicated to the defense of Zmeinyi Island by the Ukrainian military. Besides, the list includes the detective story “Zaboystva na Vulitsy Makayonka” by Kliok Shtuchny. The events in the book take place in 2022 and are partially related to the 2020 protests.

According to a thematic report by the initiative of former siloviki BelPol,  lukashenko’s regime knew in advance about russia’s attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and participated in the formation of a russian invasion group in belarus.

In belarus, there are still normal women who give birth, but men are already not interested. This is how lukashenko characterized belarusians during his visit to a mining and processing complex in Luban district.