February 28, 2023 Ukraine and the World – Against russia’s Aggression. Sanctions in Action

The European Commission and Poland are launching an initiative to search for Ukrainian children illegally removed by the russian military from the occupied territories of Ukraine.

Head of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland Michał Dworczyk has said that Poland will send Ukraine the next batch of Leopard 2A4 tanks within a few weeks.

Almost 188 thousand children from Ukraine study in Poland.

“Forcing Ukraine to betray some of its citizens will not be fair and will not bring peace. Such “agreements” just lay the foundations for the next conflict. That is why we ask Ukraine's allies to fully devote themselves to the complete victory of Ukraine. This is the only correct option”, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis said.

Chairman of the National Security and Defense Committee of the Parliament of Lithuania Laurynas Kasčiūnas believes that the country should consider building anti-tank barriers on the border with the rf, as Poland does.

“On the Day of Resistance (to russia's occupation of Crimea), Canada reaffirms its commitment to Ukrainians and the principles they are fighting for: democracy, justice and freedom. We will continue to use all available mechanisms to support Ukraine as long as it takes. Against the background of the Ukrainians’ struggle for the land that rightfully belongs to them, we confirm that Crimea is and always will be Ukraine”, said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

CIA Director William Burns believes that russian president putin underestimates the the USA’s determination to support Ukraine in the war against russia.

Michael McCaul, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the US House of Representatives, has called on President Joe Biden's Administration to provide Ukraine with more modern weapons systems, and said Congress would take steps to support the process.

Minister of Defence of Spain Margarita Robles has said that Leopard tanks are being transferred to Ukraine only for defense, and not for offensive actions against russia.

Bulgaria resumes production of 122-mm shells for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Georgia has extended the period of Ukrainians’ visa-free stay on its territory to two years.

Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis has stated his country will join the 10th package of EU sanctions against russia.

In France, the “mouthpiece of the kremlin” – tv channel RT France – has filed for bankruptcy.

Vice President of the European Commission Věra Jourová has criticized European politicians for their too correct attitude to Hungary in matters of reaction to the russian war against Ukraine.

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The russian broker tinkoff investments had to stop trading in foreign securities for russians.

At the opening of trading at the moscow stock exchange, the value of tcs group (the parent structure of tinkoff bank) receipts collapsed by 12.77 %.

The government of Kazakhstan has approved the decision to liquidate the state institution of the trade representative office in russia.

In Sudan, 58 russians are being interrogated on suspicion of smuggling gold and undermining the country's economy, one of whom has already been arrested. The company they work for is suspected of having ties to russia's wagner pmc, which has been sanctioned by the United States.

According to the Energy Market Regulatory Authority of Turkiye (EPDK), in 2022 Turkiye imported 21.6 billion cubic meters of russian gas, which is by 18 % less than in 2021. Earlier, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkiye Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu explained the increase in trade turnover between Turkiye and russia by increasing prices for natural gas that the country buys from russia.

South Korea has expanded the list of products subject to export control before shipment to the rf, additionally including 741 types of goods, such as machine tools, bearings, heat exchangers, etc.

To avoid international sanctions, top managers of russian institutions begin to change toxic jobs. In particular, natalia timakova resigned from the post of deputy chairman of the state corporation for the development – web.rf. In the period 2002–2008, she headed the press service of the president of the rf, from 2008 to 2018 she worked as deputy chief of staff of the russian government.

The central bank of the rf will fire more than a thousand employees by May; cash payments on various items and allowances have already been stopped. Staff reduction orders have also been sent to the bank's regional divisions. This is just the first stage of the reduction of employees of the central bank, the second is scheduled for the autumn. According to the recruiting agency headhunter, as of the end of February, 1,265 central bank employees have already started seeking jobs

russian banks want to prohibit their customers from transferring money to themselves on a card of another bank if the amount exceeds 300–600 thousand rubles per month.

Since the beginning of 2023, the rf has launched almost half as many new housing projects as a year earlier. The reason is a significant decrease in demand from the population, which so far cannot be supported even through the continuation of preferential mortgages by the authorities: the volume of its receipt by citizens of the rf in January decreased four times.

Due to the mobilization for war and the russians’ leaving the country en masse, the construction industry of the rf needs 200 thousand workers, housing and communal services – 90 thousand workers;

The growth rate of the number of personal vehicles in the rf in different regions has decreased three to four times compared to 2021 due to a decrease in car sales and the russians’ mass departure from the country in 2022.

The ministry of transport of the rf forecasts a reduction in passenger air traffic to China by 60-70 % due to problems with the registration of russian aircrafts.

The creation of a system of fortifications in belgorod region cost russian taxpayers almost 10 billion rubles. The authorities have also said that spring field work on the border fields of belgorod region will not be carried out “due to the operational situation”.

The European Union has extended sanctions against belarus. They will now be valid until February 28, 2024. “Given the complexity of the situation in belarus and the involvement of belarus in the rf’s illegal aggression against Ukraine, it is advisable to keep in force all the measures taken by the Union”, the decision says.

According to the Eurasian Development Bank, industrial production in belarus continued to fall in January, the reduction was by 4.1 % in annual terms, while in December it was less – by 3.2 %.

belstat has informed that at the end of January, the finished products of the processing industries in warehouses amounted to 8.67 billion rubles. For comparison, a month earlier the figure was 7.9 billion, and in January 2022 – 6.1 billion. In general, over the year, stocks in money increased by more than 41%.