May 4, 2022 Ukraine and the World – Against russia’s Aggression. Sanctions in Action

US President Joe Biden called the war in Ukraine a turning point in history during his May 3 speech at the facility in Alabama that manufactures the Javelin anti-tank guided missile. According to Biden, such a turning point occurs once in 6-8 generations, and Ukrainians are now bravely defending their country. “Therefore, we will be on the side of the Ukrainian people in their struggle for democracy and universal values. I call on the Congress to allocate arms money for Ukraine as soon as possible. May God protect you and the armed forces”, said the President of the United States.

Joseph Biden called for increased production of anti-tank missile systems to defend Ukraine. As part of military assistance, the United States handed over 5.5 thousand units of anti-tank missiles to Ukraine, while in 20 years the company has produced about 50,000 units of these weapons. The Pentagon says that Javelin has proven itself in Ukraine and that Ukrainian troops need about 500 ATMs a day. The government can supply Ukraine from its own reserves, but it would like the production of the complexes to be increased. “You're allowing the Ukrainians to defend themselves and, quite frankly, they're making fools of the russian military in many instances”, Biden said, addressing factory workers.

For his part, Lockheed Martin's CEO, James Taiclet, said the company wants to expand its missile defense capacity at a plant in Troy, Alabama. The owners do not mind the increase in capacity — at the moment the company employs about 600 people, the plant produces five types of missiles in addition to Javelin, and for the latter it is the only assembly site.

Biden also added that it is important to take steps to complicate russia's access to semiconductor markets. “Semiconductors are critical to defence production capacity. That's why we are making it as hard as we can for russians to get a hold of these semiconductors”, he said.

The sixth package of EU sanctions against russia will include an oil embargo, disconnection of several russian banks from SWIFT and new individual sanctions against russian propagandists, the WSJ reported, citing sources from European diplomats.

May 4, representatives of 27 EU countries are going to discuss the European Commission's proposal and make a decision this week. The central element of the sixth package will be a ban on imports of russian oil. EU countries must abandon it in six months, and russian oil products – by the end of 2022. Hungary and Slovakia, which do not have seaports and depend on russian oil pipelines, will receive a 20-month reprieve. At least two other countries are claiming the same benefit: the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.

“Our goal is simple: we need to break the russian military machine. And I am confident that the Council will soon impose new sanctions, in particular against Russian oil”, said President of the European Council Charles Michel.

Banking sanctions against russia will include disconnecting three financial institutions, including “sberbank”, from the SWIFT system. But officials say they will not ban transactions with these banks.

gazprombank will not be subject to sanctions yet, because EU countries use it to pay for russian gas.

Since February 2022, the European Union has adopted five packages of sanctions against individuals, organizations, russia’s financial and energy sectors in response to its aggression against Ukraine. The last of them – in early April.

Western artillery coming to Ukraine will change the course of the war with russia, US officials and military analysts predict, writes The Washington Post.

Speaking with his Canadian counterpart at the Pentagon on Thursday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said long-range artillery would be crucial in the next phase of the war. The United States, along with Canada, is teaching a number of Ukrainian troops to use the 155-millimeter howitzers that both countries have pledged to provide to Ukraine.

Besides, France has to supply Caesar self-propelled howitzers, which also use 155-millimeter high-explosive projectiles.

The United States promised President Volodymyr Zelenskyy nearly 190,000 artillery shells and 90 howitzers. More than half of them have already arrived in Ukraine.

President Joe Biden's new $ 33 billion request to the Congress for additional assistance to Ukraine includes funding for “long-range heavy artillery”, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told the Congress.

The United Kingdom and Sweden can also send artillery to Ukraine, such as the British M777.

It is noted that Ukraine would like to get more self-propelled howitzers, such as the M109 Paladin.

Zelensky requested the provision of multiple rocket launchers, including the American M142 high-precision artillery system known as HIMARS. Experts predict that this weapon will be provided later, as will be M270 multiple rocket launchers.

The United Kingdom will hand over to the Armed Forces of Ukraine the Malloy T150 drones, which can deliver heavy equipment to troops on the front line. The UAV is manufactured by the British company Malloy Aeronautics. They are capable of flying up to 70 km and carrying up to 68 kg of medical and logistical equipment for soldiers. The drones have been tested by the British Royal Marines. The supply of the Malloy T150 drones is part of a new military aid package of 300 million pounds ($ 375 million), Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on May 3. Addressing the Ukrainian Parliament, he said the UK would hand over anti-ship missile systems, armored vehicles to evacuate people, cargo drones, radars to detect russian artillery and thousands of night-vision binoculars.

The UN Security Council will discuss cases of sexual violence by the russian occupiers. First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova met with the United Nations Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, during the latter’s visit to Kyiv. The interlocutors condemned the atrocities of the russian occupation forces in the territories temporarily out of Ukraine's control, especially the crimes of sexual violence committed by the russian military in Bucha, Irpen and other towns and villages of Ukraine. “Ukraine's leadership calls on the international community to continue to work actively to jointly counter russian propaganda and to conduct a proper investigation into russia's war crimes”, said Emine Dzhaparova. The Special Representative said that she would address the UN Security Council on identified cases of sexual violence by the russian occupiers, and informed about the preparation of the annual report of the UN Secretary General, which will focus on crimes of sexual violence in Ukraine.

“Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have launched an investigation into more than 9,000 war crimes committed since February 24, 2022 by servicemen of the armed forces and other military formations of russia in Ukraine. russia has already killed more than 3,800 civilians and injured more than 4,000. Torture and sexual violence have been established”, stressed Emine Dzhaparova.

Europe's largest cryptocurrency exchange, WhiteBIT, has joined the list of responsible employers and has hired hundreds of its Ukrainian workers as the war continues in Ukraine. The company's European headquarters have moved to Spain, where specialists will work.

“WhiteBIT's European headquarters are now in Spain. This means that about 300 out of 580 of our Ukrainian specialists will continue to create a quality product, and their families will feel safe”, said Nosov, mentioning that the company's main principles are scaling and assistance to Ukraine.

The UN Mine Action Service will deploy its mission in Ukraine. “The process of humanitarian demining of contaminated territories of Ukraine and preparation for it is difficult and time-consuming. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is working to speed up the clearing of mines and shells planted by the russian military on Ukrainian soil, and to invite experienced international organizations to help”, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine said. “Currently, the UNMAS Demining Service, in coordination with other UN units, is working out mechanisms in the context of the UN assistance requested by Ukraine”.

NATO has formed a new battle group in Romania and is deploying in the country US fighter jets that were previously based in Italy. This was announced by the Allied Joint Force Command in Naples. “NATO forces regularly conduct joint exercises to prepare for any threat to the Alliance's security”, the Command's press service said. There have also been reports of US fighter jets being transferred to Romania to improve round-the-clock air patrols of NATO's eastern borders.

Israeli authorities have decided to increase humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine after russian foreign minister lavrov’s recent insulting statement about anti-Semitic Jews, reports the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. In particular, Israel points out that the increase in the aid will be a “significant step”, although no weapons that could help the Armed Forces of Ukraine to conduct offensive operations will be delivered. In particular, the aid will not include air defense systems, modern weapons and strike systems.

The Supreme Court of Fiji (Oceania) at the request of the United States granted a permission to arrest the superyacht Amadea, owned by russian billionaire suleiman kerimov, writes Fiji Broadcasting Corp. kerimov came under US, UK and EU sanctions over russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Principality of Liechtenstein has joined the EU sanctions against russian trusts and other types of trust property, – reads the government's website. Restrictions prohibit citizens and residents of the russian federation from registering trusts in the territory of this country, and citizens of Liechtenstein from servicing these trusts.

Nearly 3,000 containers and 5,000 cars destined for russia have been blocked in Belgian ports, the Belgian customs service said.

European oil refineries in Spain, Germany and the Netherlands will not buy russian oil, has anounced the company's head Bernard Looney. At the same time, he has informed that oil production in russia has already fallen by 1 million barrels per day, and this figure could double.

The Czech Republic has frozen the property of one of the country's largest metallurgical plants, Vitkovice Steel in Ostrava, due to EU sanctions against russia. The decision was made after the Financial Analytical Department of the Czech Republic found out that the owners of the company are entities from the list of sanctions, reported the newspaper Mladá fronta Dnes, citing a representative of the Ministry of Finance.

Finnish state-owned railway operator VR Group is selling all its russian assets and is already terminating transportation contracts with the russian side, the company said.

The Austrian Foreign Ministry has informed the russian embassy that they is not inviting russian representatives to the events dedicated to the liberation of Austria from Nazism.

The russian national football team has been banned from participating in the League of Nations in the 2022/2023 season.

russians are deprived of the opportunity to vote for participants in the Eurovision Song Contest due to the rf’s military invasion of Ukraine and confrontation with EU countries. The international song contest will start in Turin, Italy on May 10.

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russia is on the list of 28 countries with a “very serious state” of press freedom in the annual ranking of the international organization Reporters Without Borders. In 2021, russia ranked 150th out of 180 countries, in 2022 it dropped to the 155th position. belarus opens the list of countries with a “very serious state” of press freedom and ranks 153rd in the ranking. The next position after belarus is occupied by Azerbaijan (154th ), and after russia in the ranking of freedom of the press is Afghanistan (156th ).

The “pious” Putin has been ignoring Pope Francis' request for a personal meeting since March. The pontiff is ready to come to moscow for the sake of it, but the russian side has still not responded to his offer. The Pope's meeting with the moscow and all rus patriarch kiril, scheduled for June in Jerusalem, has also been canceled. The pope said it would not happen for political reasons.

The question “What are russians really doing in Ukraine?” is becoming increasingly annoying in the russian society amid 69 days of war, and this worries “sincere putinists”. The “united russia” party has launched special forums in federal districts for secretaries of local branches to explain the party's role and place in the war.

The real reason for such an ascent to the people is absolutely different: checking the loyalty of party cadres and intimidating them before the upcoming presidential election.

In nizhny novgorod, the secretary of the general council of “united russia” turchak made a speech in which he stressed that the “united russia” should “keep the situation inside the country”. turchak strongly urged his allies to “bury the axes of war”, to stop the struggle in the party’s leadership and inside the party. “Any dispute, discord in this difficult time is a shot in the back. All those who will not hear me and will try to shake up the situation during this period, keep in mind: the toughest measures will be taken”, he warned. The leitmotif of the incitement of fellow party members was Turchak’s words that “at the beginning of the year, the election headquarters for the 2024 presidential election actually started working. Before this election, “united russia” must form a base of supporters numbering more than 30 million people”.

The businessman tinkov is rescuing his business and reports that he is withdrawing the tinkoff and la datcha brands from russia due to russia's aggression against Ukraine. He announced this on Instagram, saying goodbye to russia. The businessman wrote that he could not “earn peacefully in a country at war with Ukraine”. “It's the evil, and I'm on the side of the good”. he said. "I am taking away the tinkoff and la datcha brands from the country. They belong to my family, I do not want to “contaminate” them with the blood of russian soldiers and residents of Ukraine!”, said tinkov. “I have nothing left in russia. And this is bad for russia ... It is a pity that my country has finally fallen into archaism, paternalism and servility. There is no russia, there was one, but it is all gone... I have lost everything, but I have not lost my soul”, the businessman assures.

On the night of May 3 in the bogorodsky city district near moscow there burned a warehouse with an area of ​​over 520 thousand square meters, leased by the publishing house “Prosveshchenie”. The publishing house kept printed products in the warehouse, as well as second-hand goods – textiles and household appliances together with the stock trading company.