November 22, 2023 Ukraine and the World – Against russia’s Aggression. Sanctions in Action

Minister of Defence of Germany Boris Pistorius has announced a new €1.3 billion aid package for Ukraine, which will include four IRIS-T SLM air defense systems, 20 thousand 155-mm shells, anti-tank mines and other weapons.

The United States has provided Ukraine with another package of military aid in the amount of $100 million which includes the HIMARS multiple rocket launcher system and additional ammunition for it, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, 155-mm artillery shells, 105-mm artillery shells, TOW anti-tank missiles, Javelin anti-tank systems, AT-4 grenade launchers, munitions for obstacle clearing, winter gear and spare parts, maintenance and other auxiliary equipment.

“Ukraine's path to the European Union is our common path”, President of the European Council Charles Michel said in Kyiv on the Day of Dignity and Freedom. He pointed out that the EU has provided €85 billion in aid to Ukraine and will provide another €50 billion for the next four years, and the 12th package of sanctions will be introduced against the rf.

“'You have chosen to be the masters of your own future. Today it is clearer than ever before: the future of Ukraine is in the European Union”, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Ukrainian people on the Day of Dignity and Freedom.

“Ahead lies a historic opportunity – without Ukraine, the EU family is not complete”, Prime Minister of Lithuania Ingrida Šimonytė said on the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the Revolution of Dignity.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz honored the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the Revolution of Dignity, pointing out that Ukraine is part of Europe – “and we are on its side”.

On the anniversary of the beginning of Euromaidan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the FRG Annalena Baerbock said that Ukrainians and the EU are moving together to Europe along the path that Ukraine chose 10 years ago.

The government of Germany, together with the EU, has financed the construction of six energy-independent hospitals in Lviv, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, and Chernihiv regions.

Germany's leading business associations, trade unions and local authorities are ready to support faster integration of Ukrainian refugees into the labor market.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin believes that Ukrainian servicemen are ready for combat in the winter and have the necessary means to succeed.

Minister of Defence of Estonia Hanno Pevkur has said that Ukraine should remain in the focus of world attention, and russian war crimes should not be forgotten.

Denmark’s Ambassador to Ukraine Ole Egberg Mikkelsen believes that to hold numerous conferences is not enough for restoring Ukraine, it is necessary to pay more attention to specific things and actions. The Ambassador also reported on the first signed contracts on Denmark's investment in Ukraine, the details of which have not yet been disclosed for security reasons.

In Denmark, Ukrainian pilots are already training on F-16 fighter jets.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada Mélanie Joly at the conference United for Justice. War Сrimes Against Ukrainian Children stressed that Canada will co-chair with Ukraine in the implementation of the fourth point of the Peace Formula, dedicated to the return of all prisoners and deportees, and is also ready to lead a coalition of countries with Ukraine that will facilitate the return of Ukrainian children.

Japan has handed over 40 special vehicles, 50 hand-held mine detectors, as well as containers and liquid for extinguishing fire to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

Since November 20, the international driver's license delivery service has become available to Ukrainians in the Czech Republic, Germany and Italy.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has reported that since russia's full-scale armed attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, at least 10 thousand deaths of civilians have been recorded, more than 560 of whom were children, as well as more than 18.5 thousand cases of injuries to civilians.

Türkiye, Romania and Bulgaria intend to jointly clear mines that enter their part of the Black Sea due to russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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EU member states are discussing possible restrictions on traveling for diplomats from russia. This idea was proposed by Czech politicians as part of the negotiations on the 12th package of sanctions: it is proposed to issue visas and residence permits to russian diplomats so that they stay in only one country and cannot move freely throughout the European Union. Representatives of the Czech Republic also want only biometric passports to be accepted from diplomats from the rf, as they are more difficult to forge.

Member of the Czech Parliament Ondřej Kolář has announced the creation of a working group that will develop a law on the nationalization of frozen russian property in the country.

President of the European Council Charles Michel has supported Finland's decision to restrict border crossings with russia due to the “pressure from migrants”.

Germany's exports to russia continue to decline: in October, goods worth only EUR 600 million were exported to the rf, which is by 37.3% less than a year ago.

President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides has offered to involve independent financial crime experts to investigate allegations against Cypriot financial institutions that could help russian oligarchs circumvent international sanctions.

Forbes has published data on the most unprofitable russian companies: at the end of 2022, their total loss amounted to almost 1.1 trillion rubles. Six of the ten most unprofitable companies in the rf are either owned by the state or indirectly controlled by it. These include: vtb bank – net loss of RUB 612.6 billion; alfa-bank with a loss of 117.1 billion rubles (this is its first loss since 2009 and a record for the entire period of its activity); gazstroyprom – net loss of RUB 77.6 billion; the second largest marketplace in russia – ozon – a net loss of 58.2 billion rubles; state transport leasing company (stlc) – a loss of RUB 53 billion; svyaznoy – a loss of RUB 48.5 billion; russian coal – a loss of 34.2 billion rubles; vk – a loss of RUB 32.6 billion; moscow metro (underground railway- Transl.) – a loss of RUB 31.6 billion; russia’s post – a loss of 31.1 billion rubles.

13.8% of large russian companies out of 150 respondents have said they are critically dependent on the purchase of foreign raw materials, while 37-38% say they need imported equipment and components. It is not possible to replace foreign products due to the lack of russian analogues or their much worse quality – as admitted by more than 50% of enterprises (if the quality can be compared, then russian products are more expensive than imported ones).

Most russian companies are unable to replace foreign products on their own: for example, to create a vertically integrated production of components, according to 74% of respondents, there are not enough competencies and scientific and technical base, more than half point out the insufficient demand of russian companies to achieve the desired effect.

20% of russian companies continue to export goods to European countries, before russia’s aggression against Ukraine there were 63%. At the same time, russian exports to the Middle East have decreased from 28 % to 23 %, to South America – from 28 % to 13 %.

Against the background of international sanctions against the rf, only 1% of russian service enterprises were able to ensure import substitution on their own, and 5% – in software.

The introduction of US sanctions against the russian avtovaz in September led to the blocking of the company's payments by foreign banks of both, “friendly” to the rf and “unfriendly” to it countries”, said president of the concern sokolov.

Dubai Airshow 2023, the largest aerospace exhibition in the Middle East, which brought together leading manufacturers of civil and military aircrafs, ended in a fiasco for rosoboroneksport. As a result of the event, the state corporation, which is part of the rostekh holding, a monopolist in the supply of russian weapons for export, did not announce the signing of a single contract.

During the week from November 13 to 19, russia reduced oil exports by sea to 2.7 million barrels per day – the lowest since August of this year: compared to the previous week, the level of exports decreased by 580 thousand barrels a day.

In russia, the exchange price of fuel began to rise in price again: AI-92 petrol – by 1.5%, AI-95 – by 1.6%, diesel – by 1%.

The committee on legality, law and order and security of st. petersburg banned wives of mobilized russians from holding a meeting for the return of their husbands from the war against Ukraine due to alleged “restrictions related to the spread of coronavirus”. For the same reason, the meeting of the occupiers' wives was banned in moscow.

A resident of moscow committed suicide in a shooting club in the center of the russian capital due to his unwillingness to serve in the russian army – the man wrote to his friends before his death that he had received a summons and was supposed to arrive at the military commissariat with his belongings on November 21.

putin pardoned the cannibal satanist nikolai ogolobyak, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the ritual murder of teenagers. In the war against Ukraine, he was wounded and disabled.

Spokesperson for the US Department of State Matthew Miller, commenting on the report of Yale University experts on the deportation of Ukrainian children to belarus, called that country “an accomplice in russia's war of aggression against Ukraine”. He also stated that it is not a “selfless third country” that provides shelter to children in conflict, and the practice of removal to belarus “disproportionately” targets vulnerable children – potential orphans, children with disabilities, children from low-income families and children of Ukrainian servicemen.

According to belstat, in belarus, as before, it is not possible to restore the pace of construction of new housing. In January-October, organizations of all forms of ownership built real estate by 5.8% less than in the same period in 2022.

Today, there are 11 teenage political prisoners in belarus who celebrated their 18th birthday behind bars. All of them were minors at the time of detention, later sentenced to imprisonment.

belarus wants to introduce changes in the production and circulation of alcoholic beverages. The new draft law will allow the production of moonshine and its sale in cultural and ethnographic centers, national parks and reserves.