February 25, 2024 Ukraine and the World - Against russia’s Aggression. Sanctions in Action

“... Europe will help you as much as you need. There will be financial support, more ammunition, more training for troops, more air defense and more investments in the defense industry of Europe and Ukraine”, said President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen during a memorial ceremony on the occasion of the second anniversary of the rf’s large -scale invasion of Ukraine in Hostomyl.

President of the European Council Charles Michel, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola have issued a joint statement promising assistance to end the war.

.. I am here to pay tribute to courageous defenders, to all those who gave their lives for freedom and security of Ukraine and all of us”, said Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander de Croo at the memorial ceremony on the occasion of the second anniversary of the rf’s large -scale invasion of Ukraine in Hostomyl, completing his speech with the words “Glory to Ukraine!”.

“... For 730 days Ukrainians have been showing the world that no aid would be enough if there were no people determined to fight”, - said Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni.

“Ukraine will have Finland’s unwavering support for as long as necessary. Ukraine and Ukrainians deserve a just and lasting peace”, the Finland government’s statement reads. At the same time, President of the country Sauli Niinistö emphasized the heroism of Ukrainians in the struggle for their freedom and stressed that our country should be given a full support.

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima pointed out  Ukrainians’ heroism in the struggle, calling it an example for everyone, and assured of their support. Minister of Defence of the country stated that it is necessary to continue to take a united stand against putin's aggression.

Denmark has stated that it will continue supporting Ukrainians in their fight.

“putin started this russia’s illegal war of aggression, and it is putin who has to end it now”, the Foreign Ministry of Austria said.

 Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz has stated that every day russia wipes its feet on the principle of impossibility of changing borders by force, which threatens not only Ukraine but destroys the peaceful order of Europe. “From this turning point, we have made the only correct conclusion: we will support Ukraine in its self -defense as much as it needs” Scholz promised.

President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs has posted a video of the National Anthem of Ukraine on his page.

President of Poland Andrzej Duda has assured that Warsaw's support for Kyiv in fighting russia’s  aggression will remain unchanged.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, on the occasion of the second anniversary of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine called on Congress to support the bill on the aid to Ukraine.

Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau said that Ukraine in this war defends the rules and regulations that the whole world agreed upon after the Second World War, and Ukraine will win.

“... Ukraine has demonstrated remarkable skill and fierce determination again and again”, – NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called “not to lose heart”.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkiye has stated that it will continue to make efforts to ensure a “just and sustainable peace, which would be based on independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”.

“... the rf must immediately end this war and completely and unconditionally withdraw all its armed forces from Ukraine in accordance with the resolutions of the UN General Assembly. We do not recognize and will never recognize russia’s illegal and illegitimate annexation, including Crimea”, the NATO-Ukraine Council said.

UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Radosław Sikorski pointed out in a joint statement that to give Ukraine more money for its military efforts is in the interest of the United States and all Western allies. They urged Western leaders not to fail the “biggest test of our generation”.

The government of the United Kingdom has said it will spend £ 245 million ($ 310 million) over the next year to purchase and activate supplies chains for the production of artillery ammunition needed by Ukraine.

The Czech Republic seeks to organize a group of countries that will help finance purchasing 800,000 rounds of ammunition for Ukraine.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has handed over 50 Toyota 4x4 Prado cars to Ukrainian law enforcement officers.

Spain will provide Ukraine with another military aid package.

A citizen of Latvia, Clijsters Mins, is going to run an ultramarathon distance of 100 kilometers from Ragaciems to Kolka without food and half-naked to encourage people to donate for drones for Ukraine.

The UAE will provide Ukraine with two thousand generators – the first tranche of 1640 portable electrical generators with a capacity of 2.8 kW to 8 kW has already been sent to Ukrainian consumers.

“At Ukraine's request, we intend to organize by the summer a high-level conference on peace in Ukraine”, said Minister of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis.

50 countries have called on russia to execute the decision of the International Court of Justice and to end the war in Ukraine.

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The United States has imposed sanctions on powerful industrial enterprises of russia, in particular: the mining group “gepromining”, the elbrus capital investment fund, the pipe metallurgical company, the sibir coal energy company, “rosgeologia”, “yuzhuralzoloto”, “novatek-murmansk”, “transkonteyner”, “almazyuvelireksport”, ”, emperor’s tula arms plant, special economic zone of industrial-production type in the republic of tatarstan “alabuga”, company “ruskhimalyans”, shipbuilding complex “zvezda”, the jsc “sukhoi” company, “uraltransmash” plant(military equipment), a carmaker of premium cars for the russian political elite “aurus”. For the first time sanctions have been imposed on the second in volume russian builder of housing - the company “pik” (for the support of the military-industrial complex of the rf).

The US Treasury Department has strengthened sanctions against the russian “sovcomflot”: the company has been transferred from the list of NS-MBS restrictions to the SDN-US – citizens of the USA and permanent residents of the country are banned from doing business with this largest navigable company of the rf. 14 oil tankers related to “sovcomflot” have also been sanctioned.

US sanctions have also been imposed on russian technological companies and providers of data centers: 3data, oxygen, “miran”, safedata, “transtinfo”, “ infotekh balakovo”, “stek telekom”, as well as powerful banks: spb. bank, bystrobank, morskoy bank, “international financial club”, izhkombank, chelindbank, rostfinansbank, “regionalnyi kredit”, modulbank.

At the same time, the US sanctions have been imposed on individuals: deputy director of the federal penitentiary service boyarynev, chief of the directorate of the federal penitentiary service for yamal-nenetsk autonomous district rakitin, state secretary of the union state mezentsev.

Getting into the SDN list deprives the company of  ability to use the US dollar for payments, counterparties are at risks of secondary sanctions. Individuals are banned from being issued visas, their property and accounts outside the rf should be blocked.

The US sanctions against russian national system of  payment cards will make it impossible to use payment cards “mir” outside the rf.

The United States has charged head of the russian vtb bank kostin of violating sanctions and money laundering. At the same time, vadim wolfson and gennon bond have been arrested, who, according to the US Department of Justice, facilitated kostin to circumvent anti-russian sanctions. wolfson is a former co-owner of the russian bank “otkrytie”, earlier he had the surname belyaev, after moving to the United States he changed it to wolfson.

The United States’s new sanctions over the rf’s war against Ukraine, have been imposed on the 558th aircraft rapairing plant in the rb (baranovichi) and on its director pinigin – for the support of the russian military-industrial complex.

The Financial Action Task Force (on money laundering) – FATF – has published an extended statement about the risks that russia is for the world financial system, and extended the suspention of russia's membership.

Australia has introduced anti -russian sanctions against 55 people and 37 organizations from defense, energy, media and mining sectors of the russian economy. At the same time, the Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it tracks “russian procurement networks in belarus, iran and north korea” in order to take appropriate measures.

Australia also introduced a new package of sanctions against three belarusian enterprises – holding “gorizont”, oao “volatavto”, and oao “planar”. Financial sanctions and a traveling ban have been also imposed on the secretary general of the Belarusian red cross shevtsov and chief of Belarusian railways morozov for participation in the deportation of Ukrainian children from occupied territories of Ukraine.

Canada has imposed sanctions on 153 russian enterprises and 10 individuals, including some of the largest insurance companies in russia – “alfastrakhovanie” and “reso-garantia”.

The Ministry of Agriculture of Latvia has submitted the draft rules, which determine agricultural and feed products, which are banned from being imported to Latvia from russia and belarus. It is planned to prohibit the import of peas, wheat, wheat-rye mixture, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, grain sorghum, buckwheat, millet, groats and other grain products of russian and belarusian origin.

According to Polish border guards, the flow of smuggling – mainly cigarettes, alcohol and cars – from belarus to Poland in 2023 increased by more than 1 000 % by some positions. The total amount of the detected smuggling on Poland's eastern border is almost 50 million zlotys (EUR 11.6 million).

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, 1,671 people have been repressed in belarus for their anti-war position. Of these, 94 were convicted on criminal cases from 1 year to 23 years. At least 38 were persecuted for public condemnation of russia’s aggression and the manifestation of solidarity with Ukraine. 14 people were tried for donations to belarusian volunteers.

In minsk on the basis of the military unit 5448, a new unit of special  forces “granit” has been created officially. Last year alone, nine new special  forces units were created in belarus.