May 19, 2024 Ukraine and the World - Against russia’s Aggression. Sanctions in Action

Minister of Defence of the FRG Boris Pistorius has announced that personnel training on the Patriot air defense system, which Germany agreed to additionally supply to Ukraine, has already begun.

Defense expert of the Social Democratic Party of Germany Joe Weingarten has supported the idea of ​​protecting the airspace over western Ukraine with the help of NATO Air Defense Forces.

John Kirby, White House National Security Communications Advisor, has assured that the USA is making continuous efforts to ensure that military aid to Ukraine is delivered directly to the combat positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The National Crisis Management Center of Lithuania has called on enterprises and organizations supporting Ukraine to increase the level of vigilance and strengthen fire safety, warning of possible provocations from the rf.

President of Moldova Maia Sandu has said that her country is ready to become a strategic hub in the process of the future reconstruction of Ukraine.

Ukraine has implemented 322 NATO standards in the field of defence and is actively working on another 50 items of the compliance program.

UK Minister for Europe Nusrat Ghani believes that the issue of creating a Special Tribunal for the crime of russia’s aggression will be a key area of ​​the Council of Europe's work in the near future.

The German company Schneider plans to manufacture agricultural machinery in Ukraine.

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Pentagon specialists pointed out that Ukrainian drones’ strikes on russian energy infrastructure at the beginning of this year disabled 14% of russia's oil refining capacity and led to an increase in domestic fuel prices.

Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas believes that putin seeks to use the threat of mass migration to divide and weaken Europe in its support for Ukraine.

Estonia can transfer EUR 40 million from frozen russian assets to Ukraine, said Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of Estonia Marko Mihkelson.

“This very clearly shows that we are following the only correct path”, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia Margus Tsakhna reacted to Kadyrov's threats in response to the Estonian law, which allows the use of frozen assets of the rf to compensate for losses caused to Ukraine during the war.

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex has decided to continue supporting the Border Service on Finland’s border with the rf.

President of Moldova Maia Sandu counts on the European Union’s assistance in protecting against russian influence. On May 21, Moldova and the EU will sign an agreement on closer cooperation in the field of security and defense.

Moldova has condemned the plans of russian “peacekeepers” to conduct training in Transdniestria.

Poland intends to invest 10 billion zlotys ($2.55 billion) in strengthening its borders with the rf and the rb.

The French company Danone has sold its russian company “vamin r”.

The largest importers of russian coal – China, India and Turkey – sharply reduced coal purchases in the first quarter of this year, according to statistics from the ministry of energy of the rf. Exports to India and Turkey in the first three months halved compared to the same figures last year and decreased to 4.7 million tons and 4.1 million tons, respectively. China reduced purchases of russian coal by 16%, to 12.9 million tons, while supplies from the rf to South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan also decreased.

In the first half of May, the price of new cars rose again in russia, in particular, the “avtovaz” plant increased the prices of “lada granta”, “niva legend” and “niva travel” cars; the vehicles became more expensive by 51.1 thousand – 71.1 thousand rubles (by 3.3 – 7%). The entire model range of “uaz” has become more expensive by 35–60 thousand rubles (by 2.0–3.6%). The “sollers” manufacturer has raised prices by 50,000 rubles for almost all versions of the commercial “atlant” and “argo” (by 1.3-1.9%). Chinese cars also rose in price: Chery Tiggo 7 Pro Max – by 10 thousand – 70 thousand rubles (by 0.3% – 2.5%), Jaecoo J7 – by 100 thousand rubles (by 3 – 3.3%).

Due to the lack of money for new cars, which are becoming more expensive almost every quarter, russians are increasingly buying used cars: in April, 2.8% more were resold than a year earlier (509.5 thousand cars). Compared to March, the indicator increased by 1.5%. Most people buy the cheapest russian-made “lada”. At the same time, ceo of “rostyekh” state corporation chemezov has called on the government of the rf to limit the number of Chinese cars on the russian market.

russian realtors point out that due to last year’s price increase of apartments in new buildings in moscow by more than 20% (the average cost of a one-room apartment exceeds 25 million rubles), russians increasingly began to buy housing “jointly”.

According to the central bank, the inflationary expectations of the population of the rf increased from 11% in April to 11.7% in May. At the same time, the jump in inflation expectations of respondents who do not have cash savings increased from 12.2% to 13.5%.

Banks of the rf have significantly increased the number of refusals to provide consumer loans to russians, approving only 44% of applications for unsecured loans since the beginning of the year.

By decision of May 15, the Government of Albania canceled visa-free entry for diplomatic and service passports of the rb.

belarusians are now twice as often denied a Schengen visa. In 2023, 3.4% of applications from citizens of the rb were rejected. A year earlier, the percentage of unapproved visas was 1.9. According to global statistics, the average percentage of refusals is much higher – 17.7. In 2023, 10.3 million applications for Schengen visas were submitted, and only 8.5 million applicants received visas.

On May 17, Lithuania took over the rotating Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers for six months. Lithuania is going to support civil society, independent media and human rights defenders from the rb and other countries with authoritarian regimes, who work in their countries or in exile. Lithuania also declares the need to harmonize the exchange of information on the rf and rb’s circumventing sanctions.

Kazakhstan has returned 16 tons of beef to the rb because of the discrepancies in the data in the documents. The cargo was checked at the Zhana Zhol veterinary control post on May 12. “According to the data of the veterinary certificates, other livestock products were imported that do not correspond to the type of activity specified for the belarusian company in the Register of the Customs Union. Due to the detected violations, the cargo was returned to the sender”, the Committee for Veterinary Control and Supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture said.

rosselkhoznadzor in zlynka district of bryansk region did not allow a batch of 7.5 kg of live snails, which was transported from minsk region to orel region of russia. The veterinary certificate did not contain all the necessary information, the information about the place and date of loading did not correspond to reality, and the snails themselves were transported in a container with peat, which did not have marking labels. The snails were sent back to the rb.

In January–March of this year, the volume of transfers from the rb decreased by 32% to $12.0 million compared to the results of the previous quarter. Transfers to the country also decreased to $35.3 million. The decline in remittances was affected by both the sanctions restrictions faced by most banks in the rb and the withdrawal of most major money transfer systems from the country. Currently, there are only three international money transfer systems operating in the rb: unistream (rf), zolotaya korona (rf), and Money Gram (USA). But even they work with a limited number of banks.

A resident of mogilev has been detained for more than 7,000 comments in support of Ukraine and for spreading “extremist materials on social media and negative comments about the russian military”. A married couple has also been detained for participating in the 2020 protests. A court in pinsk has sentenced local resident Sergei Kulesh to four years in a maximum security colony for participating in mass disorder.

The investigative committee of the rb has announced that it will prosecute the belarusians who participated in the Freedom Day abroad. Among other things, they will be deprived of their property remaining in the country, such as apartments or cars. The agency is currently conducting investigative actions, including inspections, searches, and arrests. Siloviki have already searched the places of belarusian registration of some emigrants, while others are inventorying their property.