September 19, 2023 Ukraine and the World – Against russia’s Aggression. Sanctions in Action

During a meeting of world leaders in New York, US President Joe Biden will call for an expansion of the UN Security Council to include five or six new permanent members – India, Brazil, Germany, Japan and South Africa.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has also announced the EU's desire to join the reform of the UN Security Council. “In order to restore the unique legitimacy of the UN, it is urgent to make the Security Council more representative in order to reflect the changes that have taken place in the world, and, in particular, to give a voice to Africa”, said the head of European diplomacy. At the same time, he believes that russia is “trampling” on the UN Charter with its war against Ukraine.

The Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine has received medical humanitarian aid from the Government Agency for Strategic Reserves of Poland, the Medical Life Lines Charitable Foundation from the United Kingdom, the Pall Corporation from the United States and the pharmaceutical company Medeferent Group from Moldova: three ambulances, 73 pallets of medicines, 35 pallets of medical devices.

President of Finland Sauli Niinistö has said that it is in the interests of the European Union to prevent russia from returning to hostilities after peace comes to Ukraine.

South Korea will send two K600 Rhino minefield breaching vehicles of its own production to Ukraine.

The Week of Ukrainian Culture has begun in the South Korean city of Pyeongtaek, during which residents and guests of the city have the opportunity to learn more about the culture and traditions of Ukraine.

The European Commission called upon Poland, Hungary and Slovakia to be constructive after their declaring a unilateral extension of the ban on Ukrainian grain imports despite the compromise reached earlier.

Minister of Agriculture of Spain, Luis Planas Puchades, has pointed out that most of his colleagues from EU member states consider it “necessary” to maintain solidarity with Ukraine and support the solution proposed by the European Commission regarding the export of Ukrainian grain. They are also critical of the unilateral blockade by Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.

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The restrictions imposed by the Ministry of Commerce of China on September 1 on the export of drones weighing more than 4 kg, as well as drones capable of “carrying cargo with the function of dropping or with the ability to secure such a device”, complicated their supply to russia and led to a shortage of components, in particular for thermal imagers. According to market participants, the Chinese authorities’ ban on supplying drones for military purposes actually led to the suspension of the supply of even those products that are not subject to the imposed restrictions. Obtaining licenses for export to the rf can take up to a year, and for this it is necessary to prove that the drone will not be used for military purposes. Some sellers of Chinese drones are trying to establish “parallel imports” through Kazakhstan, but it has also tightened control over the import of UAVs.

An official of the Ministry of Defense was arrested in the Netherlands. He is accused of exporting aircraft parts to russia through third countries despite EU sanctions.

According to the US Census Bureau, trade between the United States and russia has decreased 11 times, having updated the historical minimum after the imposition of sanctions, and reached $277 million in July. The July figure of the current year is almost 13 times less than in July 2021 (then the United States was in fifth place among russia's largest trading partners).

Exports of goods from the United States to the rf in July decreased to $36 million. There are three main groups in the trade turnover between the countries: supplies of nuclear fuel, fertilizers and platinum (palladium, platinum, rhodium) from russia, which were not subject to US sanctions, unlike russian oil and petroleum products, diamonds and seafood. The United States also imposed a 35% tax on imports from the rf of steel, some types of aluminum products, rubber, wood, imports of ferrous metals decreased to almost zero.

A number of EU countries propose to introduce restrictions on the supply of liquefied natural gas from russia, measures against the nuclear industry, a ban on diamond imports and sanctions against the russian IT sector as part of the new (12th) package of sanctions. The EU may also offer a mechanism for using profits from frozen russian assets to help Ukraine.

3.6 thousand russians who did not pass the exam and did not submit an application have to leave Latvia, said Maira Rose, a representative of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of Latvia.

One of the largest international producers of paper, pulp and packaging, the American company International Paper, has signed an agreement to sell 50% of its ownership in the russian holding company ilim.

Mondi, a leading international manufacturer of paper and packaging, has signed an agreement to sell its last and largest plant in russia, which is located in the komi republic.

Moscow’s authorities want to sell 800 road video cameras, which have long been dismantled from the street and road network to replenish the city budget. However, according to experts, potential buyers will have problems with spare parts for such outdated models due to international sanctions.

The growth in the cost of cars in the rf, which began in August against the background of the increase in recycling fees and a weakening of the ruble, continues. On average, in September, the rise in price ranged from 4% to 20%, but sellers have not yet fully included new costs in prices and are still trying to contain them. However, the rise in car prices will inevitably continue. Prices for russian lada and uaz patriot increased by 1.4-5% and 8.3%, respectively, for moskvich 3 – by 10.1%, for moskvich 3e – by 11%.

Against the background of a constant increase in fuel prices, which is actually out of the control of the authorities, the government of the rf wants to introduce a “protective duty” on the export of all types of petroleum products in the amount of $ 250 per ton. In September, the rate for the export of light oil products is $ 6.4 per ton, in October it was supposed to increase to $ 7.1 per ton. Such an intention of the authorities is extremely negatively perceived by market participants. Despite this, the kremlin is discussing the possibility of a complete ban on fuel supplies to other countries.

russian wheat fell in price by 12.4–13.5 thousand rubles per ton – analysts attribute this to poor demand from traders, importers and undeveloped infrastructure in the rf.

The rf is going to introduce total control even of animals: a draft law on state regulation of breeding animals for sale, primarily dogs and cats, has been registered in the state duma.

rosatom has told employees that they will be banned from using iPhones by the end of the year.

russian legal news website advokatskaya ulitsa has announced its closure because russian authorities included it in the register of “foreign agents” (this is the status with which the kremlin brands media and organizations disloyal to it).

Due to the closure of the borders of most civilized countries to russians, the population of the rf had to holiday in russia: at the end of the summer, the demand for country holidays increased by 44%, and average prices increased by 25%. Most often, russians stayed in suburban facilities in the krasnodar territory, dagestan, and moscow region, while the demand for recreation in the temporarily occupied Crimea decreased to a minimum.

In vladikavkaz, a russian garrison military court sentenced corporal madina kabaloyeva to six years in a penal colony for failing to report for service without a valid reason during the mobilization period, although the woman was pregnant at the time. The military prosecutor stated that the defendant should have resigned from service because of pregnancy, but she, according to the court, continued to receive adequate support and enjoy benefits.

The State Border Guard Service of Lithuania is studying the possibility of installing physical obstacles on the border with belarus in wetlands.

Due to the increasing threat of illegal migration, the government of Latvia decided to change the order of priority works and, first of all, to complete the construction of a fence on the border with belarus.

belarus tried to replenish the stock of spare parts for soviet-style aircrafts at the expense of spare parts that were preserved in warehouses in Ethiopia. The delivery was to take place within the framework of the contract between suppliers from Ethiopia and the belarusian state-owned company beltekheksport, which currently has four state contracts with Ethiopia with a total value of about $ 250 million. The scheduled flight of the transport aircraft of the belarusian national airline “transaviaeksport” on 6-11 September was supposed to deliver “aviation and technical property” to Ethiopia and return with a cargo of scarce spare parts. The plane had to pass through the airspace of Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Eritrea. However, Turkey and Eritrea refused transit to belarusians due to their unwillingness to violate international sanctions.

belarus will buy up to 500 thousand tons of russian grain, said deputy prime minister of the rb leonid zayats.

deputy prime minister leonid zayats also said that the export earnings of belarusian farmers in the first seven months decreased by 4.6% and amounted to $4.177 billion.

Large-scale military exercise will take place in belarus on 20-26 September, said pavel muraveyko, deputy state secretary of the security council of the rb. He also invited Poles to hold joint military exercise. “If the Poles are ready to conduct exercise with us, we will be happy to take such an initiative and consider what issues we can master together”, muraveyko said.

Since 2020, belarusian gomel has lost five sister cities from Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Poland and Canada, but has established partnerships only with the city of Hohhot (the capital of the Chinese Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region). Solomianskyi district of Kyiv and the russian-occupied Ukrainian Donetsk still are on the list of twin cities on the website of the gomel city executive committee.