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

The European Commission has adopted a proposal that launches the process to establish the European Union as a founding member of the Special Tribunal for the Investigation of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.

Norway is allocating 260 million Norwegian kroner (over $26.8 million) to UN programs for people displaced by the russian war in Ukraine and beyond. The country is also providing additional 767 million kroner (over $79 million) in humanitarian aid to Ukrainians affected by the war.

Sweden has announced a new humanitarian aid package for Ukraine for 2026 totaling 240 million Swedish kronor (approximately EUR 22.2 million).

Minister of Defence of Latvia Andris Sprūds has announced the delivery of additional CVR(T) combat reconnaissance armored personnel carriers to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. “We continue to support Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor and will do so for as long as it takes… Latvia has always stood and will continue to stand for the full restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Sprūds stated.

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has approved the ratification of a financial agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB), which provides for the allocation of EUR 230 million for the restoration of road infrastructure.

European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius has pointed out that the new EUR 115 million AGILE financial instrument provides for “full integration with Ukraine”, as well as rapid funding for high-risk projects with expected high impact.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Tom Berendsen has stated that Ukraine is already preparing for another winter of war and is counting on continued support from its partners.

President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Pere Joan Pons Sampietro has stated that he will demand that those responsible for the russian drone strike on the center of Lviv on March 24 be held accountable. “The destruction of Ukraine’s cultural heritage amid russia’s aggression is a blow to our identity and our shared humanity,” he emphasized.

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World Athletics has upheld the suspension of russian athletes from international competitions. A representative of the organization called these sanctions “appropriate and in no need of replacement, supplementation, or modification”. The need to review them, he said, will arise “only if the current situation significantly deteriorates or a peace agreement is concluded”.

In 2025, European Union member states issued 10,415 orders to russian citizens to leave their territory.

95% of entrepreneurs in russia have reported a deterioration in business conditions in 2026.

Investment in residential and commercial real estate in russia fell by 30% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026. By the end of the year, the market may decline even further.

Amid rising prices,  russia’s authorities are discussing a return to a ban on petrol exports for domestic producers.

Due to the poor start to 2026, analysts are lowering their forecasts for cement consumption in russia. Demand for cement this year may fall by 24.6% and reach its lowest level in over 15 years. In addition to the collapse in consumption, manufacturers are under pressure from imports. This is comparable to the closure of seven plants, each with a capacity of about 2 million tons per year. The consumption forecast at the start of the second quarter will most likely be negative.

Not a single new brand shop opened in russia during January–March. For comparison, during the same period in 2025, eight russian brands and four foreign brands entered the market. Instead, as was the case last year, shops continue to close in early 2026. Seven brands exited the market in the first quarter: the russian brands Face Code, Siberian Story, KCHTZ, and Lite; the Turkish brands Les Benjamins and Karaca Home; and Kazakhstan’s brand Gaissina. A total of 20 brands may close their shops over the course of the year. Even those that entered the market after 2022 are leaving.

Retailer Gloria Jeans plans to close about 150 of its shops in russia’s regions in 2026.

The federal antimonopoly service has warned major retailers against raising egg prices ahead of Easter. Egg prices in russia have been rising since the beginning of the year. From late December 2025 to March 16 of this year, they became by 16.5% more expensive on average. At this, price increases were more significant in some regions. For example, in ulyanovsk region, eggs rose by 32%, and in the temporarily occupied Crimea – by 46%.

Wage arrears in russia totaled 1.86 billion rubles in January 2026. 40.7% of the total arrears were incurred in January 2026. Wage arrears are most common in the construction sector (42%), followed by the raw materials processing sector (31.1%) and the mining sector (11%).

russia is once again facing a shortage of imported vaccines for domestic dogs and cats. Spring vaccinations against dangerous diseases, such as leptospirosis and infectious hepatitis, cannot be carried out due to the lack of necessary medications.

roskomnadzor continues to slow down Telegram’s performance. The level of anomalies indicating signs of the messenger being blocked has reached 74%.

The ministry of digital development, communications, and mass media of the rf has acknowledged that current capacity is insufficient for filtering the russian internet. By 2030, the agency plans to invest additional 15 billion rubles (bringing the total to 83.7 billion) into a federal project to expand internet blocking and filtering methods.

The state duma committee on healthcare has opposed a draft law to completely ban the use of palm oil in baby food.

The percentage of russians who do not attend church has exceeded 50% for the first time during putin’s entire rule.

The number of state-funded spots in moscow colleges will be increased to 47,000. This comes amid a significant reduction in both state-funded and tuition-based places at higher education institutions in the capital of the rf.

In moscow, the number of crimes committed by minors rose by more than 150% by the end of 2025.

In tatarstan, total tax arrears rose by 10% over the year, having reached 12.88 billion rubles. In January–February 2026, the region’s budget received 17.8 billion rubles in income tax. This is by 5.6 billion rubles, or by 24%, less than during the same period last year.

In kazan, over the past year, the supply of flats that could be purchased using a family mortgage without adding personal funds has decreased more than three times. Currently, there are fewer than 100 such properties throughout the city.

“novolex”, siberia’s largest construction holding company, owes its employees approximately 2.5 billion rubles.

In the republic, employees of the company “severputstroy,” which maintains railway tracks for industrial enterprises such as “vorkutaugol”, went on strike over delayed wages. The strike began on March 20. The latest time they received their full salaries was in December 2025; after that, they were “paid in installments and had their advances cut”, and there was no pay at all for February.

Employees of the vorkuta municipal enterprise “specialized road administration” won a court ruling for higher salaries – instead of 8,000 rubles, they were to be paid 30,000–57,000 rubles, depending on their rank. But they never received the money: the vast majority of them were fired.

On March 25, belarusians all over  the world celebrate Freedom Day – a holiday marking the proclamation of independence of the Belarusian People’s Republic. This occurred on March 25, 1918.

“On Belarus Freedom Day, we reaffirm the EU’s solidarity with the people of Belarus”, – says the European External Action Service.

Authorities of Lithuania intend to involve Brussels and demand compensation from minsk for the four-month delay of Lithuanian trucks. This was stated by Ignas Dobrovolskis, an advisor to the Prime Minister of Lithuania.

US Special Envoy for belarus John Cole has stated that the events in Venezuela and Iran have deeply frightened lukashenko.