January 23, 2024 Ukraine and the World – Against russia’s Aggression. Sanctions in Action

Penny Pritzker, the US Special Representative for Ukraine’s Economic Recovery, believes that russia’s war is a threat not only to Ukraine but also to the United States and Europe, as well as to economic security, ideas of freedom and democracy that hold the world together.

“Ukraine does need this support (from the USA), because the United States provides the greatest assistance to Kyiv”, – said President of Poland Andrzej Duda.

Poland has joined the G7’s Declaration on Security Guarantees for Ukraine. At the same time, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said his country will fully support Ukraine's rapid accession to the European Union. He also assured that Poland has no doubt about the need to support Ukraine in the war against russia.

Poland is handing over a new defense package to Ukraine.

The government of Poland will appoint Paweł Kowal, the MP of the Seimas, who heads the Foreign Affairs Committee, as the Commissioner for Ukraine’s recovery.

“European support remains as strong as before, and it will continue”, Josep Borrel, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy said about the support for Ukraine.

Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom Grant Shapps has stated that Europe needs to “step up” and provide more funding to Ukraine.

“It is not the time for irresponsible games of individual actors here. EU for two years clearly, without any 'but's or 'if's has been standing with Ukraine, which also defends the European peace order”, said Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany Annalena Baerbock. According to her, it is now important to launch European financial support for Ukraine.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland Elina Valtonen states that EU countries must simultaneously provide Ukraine with the necessary weapons as soon as possible and build up the European Union's military industry to strengthen their own defence capabilities.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia Krišjānis Kariņš has said that the support of Ukraine will be among the key topics at the meeting of Foreign Ministers of EU countries, and urged not to doubt that the EU does take care of its own safe future.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielus Landsbergis believes that the war between the rf and Ukraine is a “war for our existence”.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe unanimously agreed to consider under the procedure of urgent debates the issue of violation of the rights of Ukrainian children, including the problem of their abduction by russia.

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The bill No Russian Agriculture Act, adopted by the House of Representatives of US Congress, obliges the US Ministry of Finance through representatives of international financial institutions, “as far as it is practically possible”, to support investments in projects created to reduce countries' dependence on russia’s agricultural sector, grain supply included. At the same time, it is ordered to ensure the stability of global grain supplies and stimulate private investment.

The American WeWork coworking network is selling its business in russia.

Due to the reduction of road construction financing in russia, important roads will not be put into operation in previously approved terms: the federal budget for 2024–2026 will reduce road expenses as part of the state program “development of the transport system” in 2025 alone by 14.7 % ( by 74 billion rubles). Last year, a decision was made to reduce by 4 % the funds allocated within the framework of the national project “safe high-quality roads”.

In moscow region the completion of the construction of a new section of M-5 motorway from ulyanino to nepetsino has been shifted from 2024 to 2026; the section bypassing the village of oktyabrsky – from 2024 to 2025; the section from 35 to 47 km after pushkin on M-8 – from 2026 to 2028. In leningrad region, commissioning of the section from 100 to 134 km of A-181 motorway has been shifted from 2024 to 2026; reconstruction of st.-petereburburg southern semi-circle (on the section from 64 to 106 km) has been shifted from 2025 to 2027. In north osetia, opening of parts of the bypass of vladikavkaz on R-217 has been shifted from 2024 to 2026; in penza region, the detour of the city of spask on M-5 – from 2024 to 2025.

From August to November 2023, the arkhangelsk pulp and paper plant had raised prices for its cardboard by 41.4 % and for paper – by 42.3 %, which made russian authorities open a case against the manufacturer.

The government of the rf has called on oil companies to stop raising prices for fuel at filling stations, as prices have been raised nearly every day since the beginning of January.

Despite the rf governments requirements to carry out financial transactions in rubles, russian banks for the fifth month in a row increase the balances in correspondent accounts in US dollars. As of December 1, 2023, balances in US dollars in non-resident banks increased to $ 17.4 billion (over five months an increase was $ 3.2 billion).

According to the latest reports of the rf central bank, in 2023, exports of russian goods decreased by 28.6 % compared to 2021 (amounted to $ 422.7 billion); imports of goods to the rf increased by 10.1 % (by $ 304.4 billion). In general, export-import operations rolled back to the level of 2019. russia’s main trading partner is China, whose share in the turnover is estimated by the results of ten months of 2023 at 32 %: 41 % – in import, 26 % – in exports; russia's share in China’s turnover is 5.1 % in imports, 3.3 % – in exports and tends to decrease due to the risks of secondary sanctions.

There are no high-frequency coaxial cable producers in russia, which makes the rf completely dependent on China after the introduction of international sanctions. However, the cost of production is one and a half times more expensive, and the supply process is long and unreliable. According to experts, it will take two to five years to create own cable production in the rf.

In 2023, the imports of laptops in the rf decreased by more than 41 %, of tablets – by 26%.

russians keep getting into debts: in December 2023, they took 108,000 car - loans (155.6 billion rubles) – both indicators have increased by 6 % compared to November (within a year the car-loans grew by 87%, in money – by 113%).

According to official russian information, since the beginning of the rf’s military invasion of Ukraine, there have been 220 attacks on and arson of military commissariats and other objects of government, and 184 cases of sabotage on the railway in the rf.

Several hundreds of families from kursk region’s districts bordering on Ukraine, decided to move deep into the region, governer starovoit said.

minister of economy of the rb chebotar has stated that despite the Western companies’ having left the russian market, belarusian producers experience even a more severe competition. He considers Turkish and Chinese manufacturers to be the main competitors.

Based on reliable information about the number of children born in 2023, in about forty districts, including minsk region, where 30 % of belarus’ residents live, it was found out that in theose territories the average birth rate was 7.2 per 1,000 inhabitants. Birth rates in belarus have never been that low since the beginning of records. For example, during the Second World War in 1942, the birth rate in the ussr fell to 12 births per 1,000 inhabitants. In 1943, the union minimum was 8.6 births per 1000 inhabitants. Current official birth rates (as well as mortality) throughout belarus have not been published centrally since 2020.

Another regular bus of belarusian maz was burned in st.-petersburg on the morning of January 22. The ignition happened when the bus was transporting passengers. The flames broke out in the front and then covered the entire vehicle. The passengers managed to escape. maz buses burn suspiciously often. For example, in 2022, six buses of belarusian production burnt in st. Petersburg alone.