Ukraine and the World – Against russia’s Aggression. Sanctions in Action

The European Union has decided to freeze russian assets in the EU indefinitely to prevent them from being returned to russia outside the sanctions regime. “I welcome the Council’s decision on our proposal to extend the freeze on russian sovereign assets. We are sending a clear signal to russia: as long as this brutal and aggressive war continues, the costs for russia will increase... We want to make our brave neighbour even stronger – both on the battlefield and at the negotiating table,” said President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

“We will continue to increase pressure on russia until it starts to take negotiations seriously. The European Council’s meeting next week will be crucial for ensuring Ukraine’s financial needs for the coming years,” said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, responding to the EU Council’s decision to freeze russian assets in the European Union indefinitely.

“Today, the Council of the EU, i.e., the member states, have made a clear decision: russia will not have access to the blocked assets of its Central Bank stored in the European Union. Neither directly nor through back doors”, said the EU’s Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova regarding the EU’s decision to indefinitely freeze russian assets.

The European Commission is considering providing Ukraine with EUR 90 billion in macro-financial assistance or within the Ukraine Facility during 2026–2027.

By the end of 2025, Ukraine will receive military equipment worth approximately US$5 billion through the PURL initiative.

Former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala has said that the goal of supplying Ukraine with large-calibre ammunition has been achieved – our country has received 1.8 million units of large-calibre ammunition. “I am pleased to confirm that we have achieved this goal today,” he said.

The Swiss Federal Council has expanded sanctions against russia and belarus as part of the 19th package of restrictive measures from the European Union.

European Commissioner for Economic Affairs Valdis Dombrovskis has called the russian Central Bank’s lawsuit in a moscow court over “the Euroclear depository’s illegal, damaging actions” and the European Commission’s plans to use the Bank’s frozen assets “speculative” and “groundless”.

The international human rights organization Human Rights Watch has accused russia’s authorities and military of systematically torturing Ukrainian defenders who have been taken prisoners of war. “Evidence indicates that their (the russians’) physical and psychological torture is a widespread pattern aimed at breaking the prisoners’ sense of dignity and self-esteem,” says the human rights activists’ report.

The European Union will impose sanctions on ships of the “shadow fleet” that transport russian oil, regardless of the sanctions packages.

The Swiss Federal Council has joined the 19th package of EU sanctions against russia.

Estonia has begun installing the first concrete bunkers along its border with russia. These structures will be the first line in a network of 600 shelters being created to strengthen the eastern flank of the European Union and NATO.

The state duma has called on russians to prepare for an almost complete halt in income growth.

Telegram has begun to slow down in russia.

The rf’s authorities will prohibit russians who have left the country due to political persecution from registering marriages or obtaining new documents abroad.

The authorities of Leningrad region intend to shut down mobile internet during the New Year holidays due to “provocations”, said Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko.

belarus ranks only 122nd in the world in terms of the number of births. The UN predicts that by the end of 2025, there will be 62,332 newborns in belarus. This is significantly fewer than in neighbouring countries and highlights the weak demographic dynamics in the country.

Since 2020, at least 3,476 people in belarus have been convicted in criminal cases for actions related to online activity. Among those convicted, most people (1,186) were found guilty under Article 368 of the Criminal Code (insulting the president).