September 27, 2024 Ukraine and the World – Against russia’s Aggression. Sanctions in Action

US President Joe Biden has announced a sharp increase to $7.9 billion in security assistance to Ukraine. This includes the use of $5.5 billion in the coming months, which is the balance of aid to Ukraine after the end of the current fiscal year. The Pentagon has also announced the allocation of $2.4 billion in assistance under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which should provide our country with additional air defense equipment, unmanned aerial systems, and air-to-ground munitions, as well as strengthen the Ukrainian defense industry and support its maintenance needs. Biden has also instructed to provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with long-range JSOW ammunition, an additional Patriot SAM battery and additional AMRAAM and Patriot missiles, and to expand the training program for Ukrainian pilots on F-16s.

The United States has announced a new $375 million military aid package for Ukraine, which includes air-to-ground and HIMARS ammunition; 155-mm and 105-mm artillery shells; TOW anti-tank missiles and Javelin and AT-4 systems; M1117 armored vehicles; Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles; light tactical vehicles; armored bridging systems; small arms; patrol boats; demining equipment; spare parts, auxiliary equipment, services, training and transportation.

“The task now is to make sure that Ukraine can be a strong independent country that stands on its own feet militarily, economically, democratically. We are working on it, and not only we – more than 50 countries are working on it”, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has no doubt that Ukraine will win over russia.

More than 30 countries and the EU have adopted a Joint Declaration on Support for Recovery and Reconstruction of Ukraine, which emphasizes comprehensive assistance to Ukraine's reconstruction on its path to EU membership, coordination of support through the Ukrainian Donor Platform, and the provision of additional financial support worth about $50 billion by the end of the year from proceeds of blocked russian assets, some of which will be used for defense.

“We must put Ukraine in a strong position to negotiate peace. And that is why Ukraine's integration into the European Union is the basis of our peace efforts”, said Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.

Lead Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the EU Peter Stano has pointed out that putin's new threats to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear countries are another evidence of his irresponsible behavior, and they will not change the EU's position on continuing to support Ukraine in its fight against russia’s aggression.

Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau has said that his country is considering providing Ukraine with additional critical and urgently needed support, including drones and fighter pilot training.

Minister of Finance of Canada Chrystia Freeland has expressed confidence that the global plan to help Ukraine by using the profits from blocked russian assets will soon be implemented, and our country will start receiving funds in the coming months.

France will train and fully equip a brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

President of France Emmanuel Macron has said that his country will make every effort to ensure that Ukraine survives the war against russia and will join forces with partners to build a lasting peace.

The Swedish company Saab plans to set up production in Ukraine to support the development of our country's independent defense capabilities.

President of Romania Klaus Iohannis has emphasized that his country fully supports President Zelenskyy's Peace Formula and will support Ukraine and Ukrainians as long as it takes.

President of Slovakia Peter Pellegrini has pointed out that Ukraine exercises its legitimate right to self-defense in accordance with international law, the UN Charter included, and it is on the basis of this Charter that a peaceful solution to end russia's war against Ukraine should be sought.

The next meeting at the level of the leaders of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Ramstein format) will be held in Germany next month.

The Bundestag Budget Committee has approved a EUR 70 million aid package for Ukraine's heating and electricity sector.

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President of Poland Andrzej Duda believes that russia, which attacked sovereign Ukraine, is not fulfilling its obligations as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the body responsible for world peace.

During an open debate in the UN Security Council, Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Korea Cho Tae-yul said that russia is using its veto power as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to destroy the international non-proliferation regime.

Minister of Defence of the FRG Boris Pistorius has said that his country is ready to be at the forefront of Europe in the context of confronting the rf.

The US Department of Justice, the Department of the Treasury and the US Secret Service, in coordination with international partners, conducted a joint operation to disrupt a global cryptocurrency network involved in evading anti-russian sanctions.

The General Assembly of the Association of Mediterranean Ombudsmen has approved the decision to expel the russian ombudsman from the Assosiation.

The United Kingdom has imposed sanctions against Ocean Speedstar Solutions Opc Private Limited (India) and White Fox Ship Management FZCO (UAE) for their assistance to the energy sector of the rf. The sanctions also targeted the vessels “Asya Energy”, “Pioneer”, “North Sky”, “SCF La Perouse” and “Nova Energy”.

Minister of Energy of Belgium Tinne Van der Straeten has called on the EU to completely ban imports of russian liquefied natural gas.

In Moldova, the russian websites of “ria novosti”, “nezavisimaya gazeta”, “krymskaya gazeta”, gossovet kryma”, “ria novosti krym”, and “krym 24” have been closed.

The Sotheby's auction house is liquidating its russian subsidiary. In March 2022, Sotheby's and Christie's auction houses announced that they would stop selling works by russian artists.

In accordance with the technical regulations of the Eurasian Customs Union, approved in particular by the rf, after February 15, 2025, more than 140 thousand lifts in russia should be declared unfit for use, as there is no way to replace them.

After the russian raiffeisenbank had warned of a ban on foreign currency transfers starting September 2, its clients withdrew more than 120 billion rubles from their accounts in August, the highest figure in the last year and a half.

In August, russian fuel producers raised their selling prices by 4.9%, as reported by rosstat (in July, prices were increased by 25%). In particular, petrol grades AI-81 to AI-92 went up by 2.3%, AI-93 to AI-95 – by 3.7%, AI-96 to AI-98 – by 12.8%, AI-98 and above – by 2.8%, and diesel – by 1.2%. The cost of petrol for the population of the rf increased the most in bashkiria – by 17.7%, in kemerovo and leningrad regions – by 17.6% and 17% respectively.

At the end of August, russian food producers warned retailers of a 5 to 40% increase in purchase prices. Between September 17 and 23, pasteurized milk in russia went up by 0.53%, sterilized milk – by 0.78%, sour cream – by 1%, and butter – by 1.3%. Compared to December 2023, prices for pasteurized milk increased by 8.31%, and for sterilized milk – by 9.62%.

By the end of 2024, coffee prices in the rf will rise by 30%.

The state duma of the rf has passed in the first reading a draft law that will deprive russian orphans of the opportunity to be adopted by citizens of certain foreign countries. Currently, the process of adoption of russian orphans by foreigners has been completely halted.

Minister of Defence of Poland Władysław Kosińiak-Kamysz considers the situation on the belarusian border to be serious, given the growing number of migrants. “Since the beginning of September, about 2,500 attempts to cross the border have been recorded. For the entire year of 2024, we have already dealt with 26,000 attempts to illegally cross the Polish-belarusian border,” the Minister said.

The Seimas of Lithuania has approved amendments to the Law on the Protection of Important National Security Objects. They give more powers to the Coordination Commission for the Protection of Critical Facilities to verify whether a bidder belongs to a group of companies operating in the rf or the rb, whether shareholders or founders are connected to those two countries, or whether other persons who may control the companies are connected to them. The Commission can issue a conclusion about the threat to national security and exclude the company from the procurement process.

German company Carl Zeiss, one of the world leaders in the production of optics, is leaving the rb. The decision was made in June, after the European Union imposed sanctions on the belarusian holding company belomo. Since 1995, the company has been producing lenses and mechanical components for microscopes and medical devices in the rb, the main recipients of which were Carl Zeiss plants in Germany, the United States and France.

In July 2024, belarusian imports exceeded $4 billion, having reached a record high, with a negative foreign trade balance of minus $561.6 million. In July 2023, the negative balance was minus $174.1 million.

Starting October 1, some brands of cigarettes will rise in price by 15 to 30 kopecks in the rb.

deputy minister of labor and social protection of the rb artemenko has said that every fifth belarusian pensioner continues to work, which makes 445 thousand people, or 21.5% of the total number of pensioners. Since 2021, neither belstat nor the ministry of labor has published information on the number of pensioners in the rb, which is estimated in open sources at about 2 million 70 thousand people.

The supreme court of the rb has recognized Kalinowski's Regiment and its member structures as a “terrorist organization.”