March 2, 2025 Ukraine and the World – Against russia’s Aggression. Sanctions in Action

Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau has expressed his support for Ukraine. “Their fight for democracy, freedom, and sovereignty is a fight that matters to all of us. Canada will continue to support Ukraine and Ukrainians in achieving a just and lasting peace,” Trudeau wrote.

“President Zelenskyy has shown bravery and leadership emblematic of his people in the face of russia's brutal and illegal invasion. Australia stands with the Ukrainian people in their time of need,” said Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese.

“New Zealand remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine as it defends itself in a war that russia started. It's mounting the defence of a proud, democratic, sovereign nation, but also the defence of international law,” said Prime Minister of New Zealand Christopher Luxon.

“Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge,” EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas supported Ukraine.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council António Costa have issued identical statements in Ukrainian supporting Ukraine. “Be strong, be brave, be fearless. You will never be alone, dear President. We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace,” the statement reads.

“Dear Volodymyr Zelenskyy, dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone,” Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk wrote, commenting on the events in the United States.

Chancellor of the FRG Olaf Scholz and his likely successor Friedrich Merz have expressed support for Ukraine. “That is why we are working together to find a way to a just and lasting peace. Ukraine can rely on Germany and on Europe,” Scholz emphasized. “We should never confuse the aggressor and the victim in this terrible war,” Merz supported his colleague.

“You are fighting not only for your freedom, but for the freedom of the whole of Europe. Glory to Ukraine!” said Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson.

“Ukraine, you will never be alone,” said President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda.

Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala has emphasized that his country “supports Ukraine and is on the side of the free world.”

“Ukraine, Spain is with you,” Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez wrote in three languages.

“Norway stands with Ukraine in its struggle for freedom. We hope that the Trump administration also understands the importance of a fair and lasting peace in Ukraine,” said Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre.

“Ukraine is defending its freedom – and ours. We stand with Ukraine,” said President of Moldova Maia Sandu.

“You have to respect those who are fighting” President of France Emmanuel Macron commented on the events around Ukraine.

Members of the US Congress from the Democratic Party have expressed their support for President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “Every time I’ve met with President Zelenskyy, he’s thanked the American people for our strong support. We owe him our thanks for leading a nation fighting on the front lines of democracy,” Democratic senator from Delaware Chris Coons.

“The people of Ukraine and President Zelenskyy deserve an apology,” said Democratic Senator from Illinois Dick Durbin.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has expressed his support for Ukraine and emphasized that his party “will never stop fighting for freedom and democracy.”

“Our country thanks HIM and the Ukrainian patriots who have stood up to a dictator, buried their own and stopped putin from marching right into the rest of Europe,” said Senator from Minnesota Amy Klobuchar.

Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni suggests that the partners hold an immediate summit with the United States, European countries and allies to discuss challenges, “starting with Ukraine, which we have defended together in recent years.”

American actors Pedro Pascal and Misha Collins, as well as historian and author Timothy Snyder have expressed their support for Ukraine.

“I declare the 50th César Awards (the most prestigious award in French cinema) open and dedicate it to Ukraine,” French film legend and host Catherine Deneuve proclaimed, pinning a yellow and blue flag from the stage of the “Olympia” in Paris on her lapel.

Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre has said that the Government will soon appeal to the Parliament to increase financial support for Ukraine.

The Drone Coalition has announced an international tender for tactical-level multi-rotor intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance drones (ISR).

Italy will contribute EUR 13 million to Ukraine Energy Support Fund.

Ukraine and the IMF have reached staff-level agreement on Seventh Review of Extended Fund Facility Arrangement.

rf

Chancellor of the FRG Olaf Scholz has said that russian president putin should not appropriate and refer to German philosopher Immanuel Kant in his speeches, as the dictator's actions “contradict the basic statements” of the thinker. “The attacked has the right to defend himself. True peace always goes beyond a mere ceasefire and postponement of hostilities,” Scholz said.

The network of Telegram channels with russian links encourages people in the UK to commit violent attacks on mosques and Muslims and offers cryptocurrency for doing so. Evidence of a russian connection includes the use of the Cyrillic alphabet, russian-language posts in pro-putin chats, and administrative accounts set to the russian language and GMT+3 time zone. A dossier on the channels and their obvious links to russia has been passed to the UK Counter-Terrorism Police and the Home Office.

8 people have been arrested in Romania in the case of former pro-russian presidential candidate Georgescu. During the searches, security forces found pistols, assault rifles, grenade launchers, ammunition, gold bars weighing 25 kilograms, as well as cash – more than $3.3 million, 700 thousand lei, EUR 43 thousand, 13 thousand dirhams and 21 thousand dinars. Georgescu has been accused of inciting unconstitutional activities, spreading false information, creating a fascist organization, glorifying people accused of genocide, and creating an anti-Semitic community.

In February, India cut oil supplies from russia to the lowest level since January 2023.

The sixth russian passenger plane has broken up in midair since the beginning of the year. The Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ-100), which was flying from Yekaterinburg to moscow, had a radar failure. The increase in the number of air incidents involving russian airlines is related to international sanctions imposed on the rf after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The restrictions have made it difficult to supply spare parts and maintain aircrafts. In the first 11 months of 2024, 208 air incidents were recorded in russia, which is by 30 % higher than in the same period in 2023. This level has become a record over the past six years.

After the failure of the space launch program, massive layoffs of top managers continue in “roskosmos”.

On March 1, the law on special accounts for foreign agents for royalties and other payments came into force. The law provides for the transfer of a foreign agent's income from creative activity to a special ruble account, the opening of which will be mandatory for the foreign agent or those who transfer royalties to the agent. The foreign agent will be allowed to dispose of the money only after the foreign agent status is canceled.

speaker of the state duma vyacheslav volodin announced that on the 5th of March, the duma will consider in the first reading a draft law on a complete ban on foreign agents from carrying out educational and outreach activities.

Starting March 1, all taxi drivers working in moscow and moscow region must have a stamp of certification for knowledge of the rules of work in the service, valid for 2 years. Taxi drivers who fail to pass the test by March 1 will be disconnected from orders until they successfully pass the test.

Not wanting to announce a new mobilization, putin turned the war into a commercial war, and many men of mature, pre-retirement and retirement age went to die for money. Out of more than 95,300 people, the number of contract soldiers in the russian armed forces over the age of 50 exceeds 4,000; among the career and mobilized military personnel, there are 500 representatives of this age group, and among former prisoners – 869. Most of the russian contract soldiers killed in the war against Ukraine were in their 50s, and some – even in their 70s.

More than 150 russian military servicemen who refused to fight against Ukraine were forcibly detained in a tent city in Yekaterinburg, where they staged a riot: “Right now they want to send us to Ukraine – to die. We are asking to be sentenced, but no one gives us this opportunity. We ask for support, we don't want to just die.”

Residents of Kursk region do not hide their indignation at the situation in the region and express dissatisfaction with the inaction of the local authorities. The so-called governor of Kursk region, Aleksandr Khinshtein, is panicking because everything can end in a Maidan, i.e. an uprising of russians.

“Freedom must always be defended – in Belarus, in Ukraine, and wherever it is threatened. russia's war against Ukraine is a war against freedom itself. It is a war against the values that unite us all. The brave people of Ukraine are fighting not only for their future, but also for a free, peaceful and secure Europe. Belarusians support Ukraine,” wrote leader of the Democratic Forces Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.

Lithuania will introduce mandatory electronic declaration of fuel levels in trucks from belarus and russia starting at 8:00 a.m. Vilnius time on March 12. This applies to carriers transiting through kaliningrad, the Lithuanian Customs Department said. The Department said that during one trip, the carrier resells 800 to 1,000 liters of fuel on the black market, causing the country’s lose of up to EUR 20 million a year.

In Lithuania, such actions are punishable by confiscation of fuel and huge fines of up to EUR 6,000, and in some cases, by court order, the vehicle may be confiscated.

dictator lukashenko has reprimanded prime minister Holovchenko and his first deputy Snopkov for prices and ordered them to cut costs and ride “a dapple-bay, not a Mercedes.

Instead, under the bigbusinessman lukashenko, the February 28 auction for the Brest Construction Materials Plant failed again due to the lack of buyers, even with a 90% discount. In September 2024, its starting price exceeded 39 million rubles, in October it was 21 million, and the current selling price is 11.7 million rubles for a total area of more than 109 thousand square meters.

Cattle are dying en masse in belarus. Over the past year, the number of cattle in some areas has fallen by more than 40 %. One of the reasons for the death of cattle is the insufficient supply of feed.