February 26, 2024 Ukraine and the World – Against russia’s Aggression. Sanctions in Action

“The determination and strength of the Ukrainian people continue to inspire, as the unprovoked attack on their land, their lives and livelihoods enters a third, tragic, year”, said the King of the United Kingdom Charles III on the occasion of the anniversary of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The United Kingdom will allocate 8.5 million pounds (more than € 9.5 million) for humanitarian aid to Ukraine: more than £ 6 million (over € 7 million) will be directed to support the Red Cross, strengthening of emergency response projects and supporting the most vulnerable strata of the population in Ukraine; another 2.5 million pounds (nearly € 3 million) are planned for financing the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund which is part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Six Ukrainian pilots have undergone a training program with Royal Air Force instructors in the United Kingdom and are now training on F-16 fighters.

Ukraine has signed the Agreements on Security Cooperation with Canada and Italy.

Canada will allocate 169 million Canadian dollars (about 130 million US dollars) to Ukraine for several reconstruction and development programs.

“We continue to support Ukraine in what I have always believed is its people's just right to defend themselves. This also necessarily means military support, because to confuse the much bandied-about word “peace” with “surrender”, as some do, is a hypocritical approach that we will never share”, – said Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni regarding the signed the Security Cooperation Agreement with Ukraine.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany Annalena Baerbock has said that her country is increasing humanitarian aid to Ukraine by 100 million – to EUR 1 billion.

Minister of Defense of the FRG Boris Pistorius proposes to extend the mandate for the training of the Ukrainian servicemen in his country.

G7 Member States promise to help meet Ukraine’s “urgent financial needs”.

The NATO-Ukraine Council has pointed out that the Allies remain as resolute as ever in supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes for Ukraine to win.

By the end of March, the EU plans to deliver almost 170,000 shells to Ukraine.

In Lithuania, the fund-raising campaign “Radarom!” has attracted EUR 8.288 million for the purchase of Lithuanian-made equipment for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen considers it inappropriate to have restrictions on the supply of long-range ammunition to Ukraine, while the partners are unable to deliver the promised artillery shells.

Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Samantha Power pointed out the efforts to develop democracy and the rule of law in Ukraine since the beginning of the rf’s full-scale invasion.

Robert De Niro, Catherine Deneuve, Pierre Richard, Imagine Dragons, Bono, Hilary Swank, Viggo Mortensen, Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry – more than 30 world stars addressed Ukrainians with words of support on the occasion of the second anniversary of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

This year's Crimean Platform Parliamentary Summit will be held in Latvia.

More than 160 countries will be invited to the Peace Summit at the level of leaders in Switzerland – the rf is not to be invited at this stage.

In Tbilisi, as a sign of solidarity with Ukrainians on the day of the second anniversary of the rf’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the central television tower was illuminated in the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

“putin must be brought to the Hague and stand trial so that Ukrainians can achieve justice”, said Vice Mayor of the Hague Marielle Vavier.

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G7 leaders have stated that they will continue sanctioning pressure on russia and companies from third countries that help to circumvent international sanctions. At the same time, they emphasized that they will strengthen the control of the price ceiling on russian oil and make efforts to limit the rf’s revenues from the sale of energy carriers.

An investigation has begun in South Korea into the involvement of the Daesung International Trading company (sanctioned by the USA) in the supply of products to russia.

Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson considers russia’s attacking a NATO country a real possibility.

The government of the rf has increased by $ 5-10 the cost of foreign passports for russians, which they have issued in the territory of other states.

From April 1, 2024, the federal tax service will start collecting information about russians’ foreign passports, as well as changing personal data to obtain such a passport – allegedly “in order to improve information interaction” of state bodies. Since 2025, russian authorities have been going to introduce total registration of all the russians outside the rf.

Since the beginning of 2024, more than 510 million personal data of the russians have been accessed on the Internet (there were 168 leaks of personal data in 2023, almost 300 million records of russians got on the Internet).

According to the latest survey, only 2 % of russians trust politicians and journalists (3% trust astrologers, 6% – sociologists).

The army of the rf continues to lose its authority and the population’s trust: in 2023, 24 % of the surveyed russians did not trust the russian army, in 2022 – 10 %.

60-70 thousand disabled with amputated limbs will appear in russia every year. Such a prognosis for the “nearest period of time” was made by a russian ministry of labour, trying to justify the amendments to the law on social protection of the disabled. According to the manufacturer of the prostheses “motorika”, before the unleashed by the rf war against Ukraine, russians were annually supplied with almost 5.5 thousand prostheses of arms and 22 thousand prostheses of legs.

The sea terminal in the russian st.-petersburg is declining: because of the international isolation of the rf, there are no cruises to other countries, foreign passenger liners do not visit the port.

On February 25, without the participation of international observers, there is a vote on the election of members of parliament to the parliament and local councils, which the belarusian opposition called to boycott. The most vulnerable employees of the budget sphere, servicemen and students are being forced to vote early.

At the same time, not a single belarusian arrived to the elections from abroad, – said secretary of the election committee elena baldovskaya.

About 40 architects together with members of their families – up to 70 people – have been detained in minsk.

The training of the “regional group of troops” of the rb and the rf will take place in the territory of belarus in 2025.

In belarus, several names of clothing of the Spanish brand Mango have been banned – gosstandart of the rb removed them from sale.