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

“We must move forward with the European Union’s 20th package of sanctions, and discussions will take place in the coming days. We must work on a complete ban on maritime services for russian oil exports and strengthen our joint efforts against what is known as the russian ‘shadow fleet’ with the highest possible level of coordination,” said President of France Emmanuel Macron.

Chancellor of the FRG Friedrich Merz has pointed out that the war in Ukraine will end when “russia no longer sees any point in continuing it” and “can no longer count on conquering new territories, when the price of this madness for russia becomes simply too high”. “That is why we must continue to put pressure on russia. We (the allies) must even increase this pressure,” he stressed.

“Germany’s position is clear: we must now demonstrate strength, we must continue to provide sustained support to Ukraine and do what we did last year – increase pressure on russia,” said Minister of Foreign  Affairs of Germany Johann Wadephul.

President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel has stressed that the outcome of the war in Ukraine will have a long-term impact on the whole of Europe and has warned politicians against negative attitudes to Ukrainian refugees.

“In reality, we are not fighting russia effectively. russia is not putin or stalin; it is a political system. We must help russia change this system. If we don’t, even if Ukraine wins the war, russia will rise again in ten years, and our grandchildren will have to fight it again,” said former President of Poland Lech Wałęsa.

The government of Finland has announced that it will allocate EUR 20 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

The government of Italy has provided Ukraine with 10 electric generators with a total capacity of 1,500 kVA.

The heads of 35 diplomatic missions accredited in the Czech Republic have contributed funds to purchase three generators for Ukraine. “The initiative aims to help the country cope with its ongoing energy crisis, caused by russia’s constant attacks on energy infrastructure and the harsh winter, which is affecting millions of civilians,” the diplomats said.

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The Council of the European Union has extended   until February 24, 2027,  the sanctions imposed in response to russia’s illegal recognition, occupation, or annexation of certain territories in Ukraine not controlled by Kyiv.

The EU Council has  also imposed sanctions on eight representatives of the russian judicial and prison systems responsible for serious human rights violations, repression of civil society and democratic opposition, and undermining democracy and the rule of law in russia.

Ministers of Defence  of the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, France, and Germany  have signed a declaration on the joint production and procurement of small, low-cost drones and components. The agreement was reached as part of NATO’s strategy to strengthen its defense capabilities against russian provocations in the air.

Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz has called for increased pressure on russia’s leadership and condemned the kremlin for systematic war crimes. “Under its current leadership, that country is at the lowest point of the most despicable barbarism. And no one should doubt the regime and barbarism we are dealing with on the part of russia,”  said Merz.

Minister of Defence of the Netherlands Ruben Brekelmans  has said that russia’s imperial ambitions do not stop at Ukraine, but are also directed at Europe. Brekelmans has stressed that the rf seeks not only to restore its sphere of influence, but also to weaken the rest of Europe through hybrid methods. “We must all realize that we are facing the same russian aggression – and russia’s imperial ambitions do not stop at Ukraine, but extend further, to Europe,” he stressed.

The Czech Republic has joined the boycott of the 2026 Paralympics due to the participation of russians and belarusians.

russian and belarusian figure skaters will not be able to participate in the 2026 World Championships in Prague. This was announced by the International Skating Union (ISU).

“Estonia is ready to revise and, if necessary, tighten procedures related to the issuance of temporary residence permits to citizens of russia and belarus,” said Minister of the Interior Igor Taro.

The Mayor of Vilnius has proposed banning in Lithuania concerts by artists who perform in russia and belarus.

The London Metal Exchange has announced that it will suspend issuing permits for the supply of russian aluminum to EU warehouses from February 25 this year. This announcement was made against the background of the end of the one-year transition period following the introduction of sanctions in February 2025.

In 2025, the production of all types of tyres in russia fell by 21%, and of passenger car tyres – by 20%. The reason for this is seen in the influx of cheap imports from China, which already accounts for a third of the russian tyre market, while the car market is shrinking.

In 2025, russia saw a threefold increase in the volume of nationalized assets. According to court decisions, 24 private assets worth $11.03 billion were transferred to the state, while in 2024, 10 enterprises worth $3.89 billion were nationalized.

Cement consumption in russia fell by 9% in 2025 to 61 million tons. In 2026, the decline may reach 15%.

russia’s state structures began to save on car purchases. In 2025, state structures purchased cars for a total of 20.7 billion rubles. Meanwhile, in 2024, purchases amounted to 27.8 billion rubles, and in 2023 – to 36.5 billion rubles.

The ministry of education of the rf  will prepare a guide for parents on raising children. Besides, russia may introduce a list of toys recommended for all kindergartens in the country. They must be exclusively those that promote “traditional values”.

A draft law  has been submitted to the state duma that tightens the rules for migrant workers in russia. In particular, it proposes to expel from the country foreigners’ children who have reached the age of 18 if they have not obtained their own work permit.

At the end of December 2025, belarus ranked third in the Eurasian Economic Union in terms of increases in housing and utility rates. Housing costs in the rb increased by 9%, utility costs – by 12.2%.

Last year, belarus experienced the most acute labor shortage since independence. In 2025, there was a record shortage of workers on the labor market, judging by the number of vacancies announced by employers – 163,794. From 2020 to 2025, the number of vacancies announced more than doubled.