May 13, 2025 Ukraine and the World – Against russia’s Aggression. Sanctions in Action

The EU will provide Ukraine with another EUR 900 million to buy weapons at the expense of profits from frozen russian assets.

“We have to put pressure on russia to really seek peace and sit down at the negotiating table with Ukraine. If they (the russians) continue to bomb Ukraine, if there is no ceasefire, then negotiations under fire are impossible,” emphasized EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas.

“Our position is clear: we support the proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, starting today. President Zelenskyy also accepted this proposal without any preconditions, confirming that Ukraine is once again ready to agree to a ceasefire. So now russia must respond in the same clear way, and a ceasefire is urgently needed for peace talks,” said Spokesperson for the European Commission Anitta Hipper.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has emphasized that “this is the time for putin to get serious about peace in Europe, to get serious about a ceasefire, and to get serious about talks.”

Germany’s Government Spokesperson Stefan Kornelius has said that if a 30-day ceasefire is not established in Ukraine by the end of Monday, Berlin, together with its European partners, will begin preparing new sanctions against the rf.

Ukraine and the EU have set up a specialized task force on cooperation in the defense industry.

EU Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius has called for greater integration between the European and Ukrainian defense industries.

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EU Commission Spokesperson Paula Pinho has said that the European Union is coordinating with the United States on potential anti-russian sanctions, including the consortium operating the “nord stream 2” gas pipeline, if russia does not start a ceasefire as planned.

During the EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council meeting on May 13 in Brussels, the EU Ministers of Economy and Finance will hear an expert report on the financing of the war economy in russia to better shape punitive, financial and economic sanctions against the rf in the course of preparing the 17th sanctions package.

Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk has said that the fire in the Marywilska 44 shopping center in Warsaw was the result of a deliberate arson organized by russian special services: “It is now known for certain that the large fire at the Marywilska shopping center in Warsaw was caused by an arson attack ordered by russian intelligence services. Some of the perpetrators have already been detained, all the others have been identified and are wanted. We will find you all!”

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Radosław Sikorski has announced the closure of the rf’s consulate general in Krakow due to evidence of russian intelligence services’ involvement in the sabotage attack in a shopping center in Warsaw on May 12, 2024.

Member of the Bundestag from the ruling CDU party Norbert Röttgen believes that European NATO states should speed up their defense capabilities, as russia may attack earlier than is currently being stated in official statements.

Kemerovo region of the rf has created 10.3 % of the total “hole” in the budgets of deficit regions. Last year, the deficit amounted to 70.6 billion rubles, or 24 % of expenditures. Today, due to the even more severe crisis in the coal industry, kuzbass is forced to borrow 14 billion rubles to finance the regional budget deficit and repay its debts, at 23.4 % per annum from vtb and at 23.7%–24.1% from sberbank.

Voronezh region of russia is on the verge of declaring a regional emergency due to the loss of crops on an area of more than 30,000 hectares, with winter crops and sugar beets suffering the most damage. In addition, the total area of frost-damaged orchards and berry gardens exceeds 2,600 hectares, or 44 % of the total in the region.

Import substitution – russian style: in March 2025, russia purchased a record-breaking batch of strawberries from China worth $3.4 million. This figure is twice as high as the volume of supplies in February this year and March last year.

This week, the state duma of the rf is going to increase administrative liability for citizens who have left russia and act “against the interests” of the rf. The draft law provides for permission to try such persons in absentia and seize their property in the rf.

Unable to buy new cars, russians are actively dismantling used ones. In the first four months of 2025, they purchased 1,861,282 used cars. In April, the number of such purchases increased by 13 %. russian used cars accounted for only 30 % of re-registrations.

The deputies have called the frequent cases of absenteeism and unauthorized leaving of workplaces by employees in russia egregious. In view of this, the ministry of economic development of the rf has prepared a package of amendments to labor legislation, which will, among other things, allow employers to dismiss employees for absence from work for more than four hours without a valid reason.

In April, annual inflation in the rf accelerated to 6.5 %, while monthly inflation was 1 % compared to March. Food prices rose the most in April, by an average of 1.4 % compared to March and by 8.3 % in annual terms. Non-food products became more expensive by an average of 0.7 % over the month, and by 3.6 % over the year. April’s increase in prices for services is estimated at 0.5 % compared to March, and 7 % compared to April last year.

The share of the IT sector in the economy of the rb has decreased almost one and a half times in four years. At the end of 2024, the share of the “information and communication” industry, which includes IT, in the economy was 4.9 %, while in 2020 it was 7.3 %.

The government of the rb plans to reduce subsidies in housing and utilities and transportation. This means raising utility tariffs and public transportation fares.

The ministry of internal affairs of the rb included the belarusian social democratic party “Gramada” in the list of “extremist formations”.