May 6, 2025 Ukraine and the World – Against russia’s Aggression. Sanctions in Action

Ukraine may receive another Patriot air defense system by the summer.

European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius has said that the EU has the opportunity to significantly increase military support for Ukraine by purchasing weapons directly from Ukrainian manufacturers. “If putin isn’t convinced by Trump to make peace, we could bring forward more convincing arguments for peace very quickly – by greatly increasing our military support to Ukraine… Our support’s real value would rise to EUR 80 billion,” said Kubilius.

This year, Ukraine may receive 1.8 million units of artillery ammunition as part of the Czech Shell Initiative.

President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel has said that his country is already working on organizing the supply of artillery shells to Ukraine for 2026.

Ukraine and the Czech Republic intend to open an F-16 school as part of an Aviation Coalition.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala has said that his country will train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 and F-39 fighter jets on its territory within the framework  of the Coalition of the Willing. He also said that the Czech Republic has employed 160,000 Ukrainian refugees.

President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel believes that the short-term “truces” to allegedly end hostilities in Ukraine, which putin is proposing, make no sense. “If we talk about ending the war, putin still holds all the cards. He only needs to make a decision, but so far he has not expressed such a desire,” the Czech President said.

Ukraine and the Czech Republic have signed a Joint Declaration to establish  a Unity Hub of Ukraine in Czechia.

The Spanish company Escribano Mechanical and Engineering is considering the possibility of producing defense equipment in Ukraine.

At its plenary session on May 5–8, the European Parliament will address the issue of establishing a lasting and just peace in Ukraine, as well as return of children unlawfully deported by russia from temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.

On May 8, the European Parliament will vote on the introduction of a preferential regime for the export of steel and iron from Ukraine.

rf

US  President Donald Trump does not rule out the possibility of signing Republican Senator Lindsey Graham’s bill to strengthen sanctions against russia. “It depends on whether or not russia is behaving toward coming to a peace,” said Trump.

On May 6, the European Commission will present in Strasbourg a plan for the EU to cut off russian energy supplies, its Spokesperson Stefan De Keersmaecker said. The European Union plans to completely stop importing russian gas by 2027. The ban should apply to both long-term agreements and spot contracts, which account for about a third of russian gas imports.

The Belgian depository Euroclear has begun the process of withdrawing about EUR 3 billion from frozen russian accounts. The funds will be distributed among Western legal entities and individuals whose assets were confiscated in russia in 2024. The aim is to compensate Western investors for their  investments affected by   the rf’s response to sanctions.

The conservative opposition party “Union of the Fatherland – Christian Democrats of Lithuania” proposes to create a Vytautas the Great defense line on the border with the rf  and the rb, which would be protected by anti-personnel mines, anti-tank ditches, mobile armored groups and long-range artillery. The estimated cost of the project is EUR 1  billion.

It is permissible to bless ballistic missiles if they serve the benefit of people, said Hieromonk Makariy, a cleric of the Ivanovo–Voznesensk eparchy  of the russian orthodox church.

The russian ministry of healthcare has again revised the amount of sanctions for medical universities and colleges  graduates’ refusing to work in state institutions. According to the new version of the draft law, the fine will be three times higher than the actual cost of educating a state-funded student. On average, this is almost 3.7 million rubles, excluding prices at specific universities.

Sales of new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in russia in April 2025 fell by 24.7 % year-on-year to 111,157 units. In January–April 2025, the total number of vehicles of all types sold in russia was by 27 % less than in the same period in 2024. In particular, passenger cars and light commercial vehicles -25.5 %, LCVs -15.7 %. Sales of trucks have lost 49 % since the beginning of the year, and of buses –54 %.

In the first quarter of 2025, PJSC “yuzhuralzoloto group of companies” reduced its revenue by 24 % to RUB 5.2 billion.

The shareholders of “seligdar”, one of the top 10 largest gold mining companies in the rf, decided not to pay the final dividends for 2024.

The rf’s authorities have recognized the shortage of police patrols in Rostov Region and Krasnodar Krai – more than 40 %, and in Perm Krai – 50 %.

A second monument to stalin has been  erected in Vologda region.

In January-March 2025, russia’s exports of goods amounted to $9198.8 million, while imports amounted to $10,836.4 million. As a result, the negative balance exceeded $1.6 billion.

belarusian cement producers remained unprofitable in 2024. The net loss of belarusian cement plant increased from 34.4 million to 43.3 million, “krichevtsementnoshifer”’s net loss increased from 120.7 million to 134.5 million rubles, and “krasnoselskstroymaterialy”’s net loss rose  from 54.8 million to 29.9 million.

Since May 1, banks and some other organizations in the rb are obliged  to report to the tax authorities data on belarusians’ expenditures  in foreign online shops.