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

The sixth Steering Board of the Ukraine Investment Framework (UIF) has approved a new package of eight programs worth a total of EUR 1.5 billion to support Ukraine’s vital sectors. These programs are aimed at attracting EUR 3.4 billion in new investments and will bring support to vital sectors, like energy, education, connectivity, agriculture, and small businesses, as well as fund the construction of shelters in education facilities. The new programs will be implemented by financing institutions – some that are already working with the European Commission in Ukraine (EBRD, IBRD, KfW, IFC), and new partners (Finnvera, BPIFrance, CDP).

Germany is allocating more than EUR 200 million to protect Ukraine’s civilian population and critical infrastructure.

Finland has provided Ukraine with an oil spill response aid package. In particular, Finnish border guards have provided Ukraine with equipment for collecting oil from the water surface, power sources, boom barriers, and personal protective equipment for dealing with the consequences of environmental disasters.

The government of Switzerland has provided the State Emergency Service of Ukraine with diesel generators and mobile heating equipment.

During russia’s full-scale invasion, the Canada-Ukraine Foundation has donated more than CAD 100 million (approximately USD 77 million) to Ukraine.

European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius is sure that increasing support for Ukraine will cost the EU two or three times less than russia’s victory. He has also said that Ukraine and Europe are studying the possibility of jointly developing missile systems. Kubilius has stressed that all options for Ukraine’s European integration currently under discussion are viable, but Europe should think not about the price of our country’s accession, but about the price Europe will have to pay if such accession does not take place.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany Johann Wadephul has assured that russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the associated threat to all neighboring states remain “the number one issue in Germany’s security policy”.

The current escalation in the Middle East is a direct consequence of the destruction of international law that began with russia. This was stated by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas. “The chaos we see in the Middle East today is a direct consequence of the erosion of international law. It started when russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, invaded its neighbor, with impunity and a good measure of cynicism,” she said.

russia is the biggest foreign policy threat to the Czech Republic. And it has been so for many years. This was stated by Hyněk Kmoníček, advisor to the Czech government on national security. “Regardless of the state of Czech-russian relations, it has always been true that the further away russia is geographically, the greater the Czech Republic’s own security,” he added.

The Chinese have begun to massively displace russians from online business. In 2025, every fifth online business in russia was launched with the participation of Chinese citizens, where the founder or CEO is a citizen of the PRC. Last year, the number of Chinese companies registered in the e-commerce segment doubled. At this, the total number of Chinese companies engaged in online trade in russia increased 2.4 times in 2025.

Chinese entrepreneurs are increasing their presence in russia’s economy. From 2023 to 2025, the number of Chinese companies registered in the country grew by 86%, which was the fastest growth rate among foreign businesses. Chinese entrepreneurs launch more than 400 new businesses (sole proprietorships and LLCs) in russia every month. In 2025 alone, the number of registrations of companies with Chinese participation increased by 35%, while the number of new russian LLCs decreased by 21%.

The sharp slowdown in the economy and its division into a growing military sector and a declining civilian sector have led to a sharp increase in income inequality among russians. The Gini coefficient, which reflects income concentration (the lower it is, the closer the distribution of income is to equality), was 0.419 last year, the highest since 2010.

At the end of 2025, overdue wage arrears in russia increased 2.3 times and reached 2.077 billion rubles. In monetary terms, the increase in non-payments for the year – 1.134 billion rubles – broke the 2016 record, when debts added 1.566 billion rubles. And in relative terms (by 127%), the jump was unprecedented in 20 years of available statistics. About 87% of wage arrears are related to employers’ “lack of own funds”: during the year, this amount increased by 98% to 1.763 billion rubles. The remaining 13% are accounted for by state employees who are not paid on time due to problems in regions facing record budget deficits since 2011.

In russia, in the fourth quarter of 2025, organizations dismissed on grounds of redundancy by 59% more employees than in the same period a year earlier. In terms of sectors, most lay-offs were in public administration and security, health care, social services and education.

In 2025, the number of vacancies in the retail sector in russia increased by 60% compared to the previous year.

Mortgage lending fell by a third in February after conditions for russian families were tightened.

The net profit of the russian agricultural holding “rusagro” for 2025 fell by 40% compared to the previous year.

In February 2026, 484 new buses were sold in russia, which is by 21.3% fewer than in the same month last year.

Starting next month, avtovaz employees will again switch to a four-day work week due to a reduction in production associated with a sharp decline in demand for lada cars.

Reindeer breeders in kamchatka have not been paid for several months. In general, wages have been delayed throughout russia in recent years. In particular, bus drivers in belgorod region and social workers in khakassia have been left without money.

In astrakhan, schoolchildren were herded to Iran’s Consulate General to honor the memory of the slain Ayatollah Khamenei. At the same time, in moscow, police broke up a gathering of Iranians who were commemorating his death.

russia plans to introduce compulsory work experience for students of construction universities in order to reduce the shortage of personnel in the industry.

russian athletes did not receive Samsung smartphones at the Paralympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. Samsung phones are part of a gift set given to athletes at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. In February, russian Olympians did not receive smartphones either.

In January, belarus purchased by $212.4 million more in goods than it sold.

Since 2020, 605 political prisoners have been released on parole in belarus, while 4,499 people have been granted political prisoner status during this time.