March 24, 2023 Ukraine and the World - Against russia’s Aggression. Sanctions in Action

On March 23, the Swedish Parliament (Riksdag) approved the government's proposal to transfer a new military assistance package to Ukraine worth EUR 554 million. The package includes Archer self-propelled guns, Leopard 2 tanks, Robot 57 light anti-tank weapons (NLAW) and ammunition.

Representative of the French Armed Forces Ministry, General Jan Gravet, has said that Ukrainian pilots were trained in France to operate air defense systems, as well as to survive in case of ejection on enemy territory.

Slovakia handed over the first four MiG-29 fighters to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Minister of Defence of Finland Antti Kaikkonen has announced the transfer of three Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

Ukraine has appealed to Finland with a proposal to hold trilateral talks between Kyiv, Helsinki and Washington on Hornet fighters, as they are American-made aircrafts.

Spain, Denmark and Poland have joined the EU agreement on the purchase of ammunition for Ukraine.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg did not rule out that the Allies would decide to send Western fighters to Ukraine.

The Parliament of Iceland has recognized Holodomor as a genocide of Ukrainians.

The World Bank has increased its estimate of Ukraine's needs for recovery and reconstruction funds to at least $411 billion.

Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada has announced the extension of the program to support refugees from Ukraine for a year.

Ukraine and Moldova have agreed on the last details for the launch of the railway line, which was built after the start of the full-scale war.

The EU countries have accepted more than two thousand Ukrainians for treatment since the beginning of the full-scale war.

Last year, 4.3 million Ukrainians received temporary protection in the EU.

In the Hague, Prosecutor General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin and Registrar of the International Criminal Court Peter Lewis, signed a Cooperation Agreement on the establishment of an ICC representative office in Ukraine

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas promised at the EU summit to raise the issue of creating a tribunal for the crime of the rf’s aggression.

Head of the EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, has said that the EU condemns the illegal threat of a high-ranking representative of russia (medvedev) to use force against the International Criminal Court and the country where it is located – the Netherlands.

“I don't know of another military in the world — another air force in the world — that would award a pilot for smashing into a drone. If that's bravery, then I guess they got a different definition of it”, US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said of the awarding of a pilot in russia who attacked an American drone. At the same time, Kirby recommended russia to withdraw its tanks from Ukraine if the russian government is worried about the “health condition of its tanks and tankers due to ammunition with depleted uranium”.

“putin was allowed to occupy part of Georgia, then allowed to seize Crimea. People ask: where will putin stop? putin will stop where we stop him. I do not think that peace will be possible until it becomes clear that russia's military objectives in Ukraine have failed”, said Prime Minister of Ireland Leo Varadkar.

The government of the Czech Republic has decided to extend the ban on issuing visas and long-term residence permits to citizens of the rf and belarus for another year – until March 31, 2024. Besides, belarusians and russians with passports of other countries will now fall under the restrictions.

Kosovo has joined US sanctions on russia's private military company “wagner”.

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In the context of the russian crisis, which arose due to full-scale military aggression against Ukraine, the russian government in 2022 spent colossal, unforeseen budget money to save the country's economy, prime minister mishustin, speaking to the state duma, said that “expenses at the expense of the budget and the national welfare fund amounted to almost 1.5 trillion rubles, under various programs of preferential lending to companies – to another almost 4 trillion rubles”.

According to the latest survey, 57 % of russians will keep this year's savings for a “rainy day” and only 16 % plan to direct them to entrepreneurial activity.

rosaviatsiya has reported that due to the ban on access to international markets, the total volume of cargo transportation by russian airlines in 2022 decreased to 599.05 thousand tons, which is by 59.42% less than in 2021 and corresponds to the level of 2001.

International transportation accounted for 77 % of the cargo flow of russian airlines. After the closure of international markets and due to the risk of arrests of aircrafts abroad, the largest cargo airlines of russia – airbridgecargo, skygates and “'atran” – were unable to resume flights.

According to the russian union of the tourism industry, the restrictions imposed by the European Union have led to russian trips to European countries having decreased by 90 %.

From January to mid-March 2023, the share of hotel reservations in online travel agencies in russia decreased from 76 % to 48 %.

russians began to save on their pets: in January – February 2023, compared to the same period last year, the cost of buying goods for animals decreased by 26%, the number of purchases – by 10%.

In 2022, sales of car tyres in russia decreased by 14.9 % and amounted to 35.1 million units. Tyre exports from russia decreased by 18.2 % to 12 million units. The average cost of one passenger car tyre increased by 20.5%.

From 2024, the ministry of health care of the rf is going to quadruple the number of military training centers (former military departments) in medical universities – from 4 to 17. first deputy chairman of the state duma committee on health care tumusov considers this an “immediate necessity”: “The danger will only increase. I think we will live in this mode not for a year, but for the next decade”.

Members of the UN Human Rights Council on a special meeting discussed a report on the human rights situation in belarus since 2020. They condemned the repression and violence against protesters and called for an independent investigation into abuses by authorities. United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif pointed out that the state keeps using widespread and systematic torture and ill-treatment directed against individuals for their real or alleged protest position.

The Lithuanian government has proposed to the Seimas to urgently adopt amendments to the legislation to increase fines for inaccurate information about the origin of money, its owners and purpose of use. The reason for the proposal is frequent attempts to bring in from belarus and russia, the cash “related to criminal activity and the war in Ukraine”.

Poland continues to insist on strengthening sanctions against belarus in order to prevent circumvention of sanctions against russia. Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki has said that belarus is a mechanism for russia to circumvent sanctions for dual-use goods, such as drones, electronics. “We warn about this, tighten sanctions, point to the very bad role of belarus in the war in Ukraine”, Morawiecki said.