Ukraine and the World – Against russia’s Aggression. Sanctions in Action

The European Parliament has supported the European Commission’s proposal to provide Ukraine with a EUR 90 billion loan to finance military and budgetary expenditures.

More than 80% of all military aid to Ukraine is currently coordinated and delivered through NATO structures.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas insists on a number of concessions from russia as part of a potential peace agreement on Ukraine. “And we must put these conditions not on the Ukrainians, who are already under great pressure, but on the russians”, Kallas stressed. According to her, the governments of EU member states will receive this list in the coming days.

“I keep repeating this because I not only believe it, but also follow the negotiations very closely. I believe that we are closer to peace in Ukraine than ever before”, said US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker.

Switzerland has approved a 32 million francs (EUR 35 million) package of energy aid to Ukraine. At the request of the Ukrainian government, the Swiss Federal Council will transfer 80 generators of various capacities and 18 natural gas-powered electric modules.

Moldova has provided Ukraine with a shipment of humanitarian aid, including electric generators and fire trucks.

Japan is providing UNESCO with $3.8 million to support Ukraine in the spheres of culture, education, and information.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved a EUR12 million loan for energy efficiency and energy security projects at 24 social infrastructure facilities in Rivne.

Riga’s City Council has announced that it will donate EUR100,000 to Ukraine for the purchase of generators and other technical equipment.

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The European Commission plans to completely block transactions with russian cryptocurrency platforms. The goal is to block channels which moscow could use to circumvent sanctions through assets outside the traditional banking system. The new package of measures does not involve the selective inclusion of individual companies in sanctions lists, but a complete ban on all crypto platforms created in russia.

The European Commission also plans to include russian singer timati and president of the international chess federation arkady dvorkovich in the 20th package of sanctions. Besides, companies that manufacture drones will be blacklisted. A total of 29 individuals may be subject to restrictions. Among them – president of the russian olympic committee stanislav pozdnyakov; director of the Hermitage Museum mikhail piotrovsky; president of the wrestling federation mikhail mamiashvili; and general director of the Mariupol Drama Theater igor solonin. There are also plans to add chief of the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense forces of the rf major general aleksey rtishchev, and his deputy, major general andrey marchenko. Nine companies from the UAE (for assisting tankers linked to the rf) and three Chinese companies may also be included in the list. At this, there are plans to ban imports of copper, nickel, aluminum, molybdenum, cobalt, magnesium, white salt, and furs from russia.

NATO has launched the Arctic Sentry military mission to strengthen its presence in the Arctic amid the russia and China’s growing presence in the region.

UK Secretary of State for Defence John Healey has said his country will double the number of its troops in Norway over the next three years to counter russia’s threat in the Arctic.

According to information from the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Agency (EFIA), russia is sending large numbers of secret service officers, diplomats, and agents of influence who have become persona non grata in Europe to African countries. “rossotrudnichestvo, which plays a key role in state influence operations, is stepping up its activities in Africa by opening representative offices, particularly in Guinea and Burkina Faso. Besides, the “russkiy mir” (“russian world” – Transl.) foundation, which promotes the russian language abroad, has expanded its presence by opening new centers in Burundi and Uganda,” the report says.

The US Department of the Treasury has issued a license to Venezuelan companies for oil operations, which prohibits any transactions involving individuals and companies from russia, iran, north korea, and Cuba.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kenya Musalia Mudavadi intends to hold talks with russia’s authorities and urge them to stop recruiting Kenyans into the russian army to participate in the war against Ukraine. He called this practice “unacceptable”. The exact number of Kenyan citizens who participated or are participating in the war on the side of the rf remains unclear, as none of them has officially enlisted in the russian army.

Tighter Western sanctions and the kremlin’s “besieged fortress” policy keep breaking economic ties between russia and the outside world. By the end of 2025, the share of foreign trade in russia’s GDP hit its lowest point in over 30 years, falling back to the levels seen in the last years of the ussr. The share of exports in GDP fell from 22.2% to 17.8%, while the share of imports fell from 17.8% to 15.2%. The share of exports in soviet GDP was 18.2% in 1990 and 13.3% in 1991, while the share of imports was 17.9% and 13%, respectively.

After two years of military boom, paid for by record since soviet-era military spending, russia’s economy is sinking deeper and deeper into the mire of industrial recession. Of the 28 major industries, 21 ended last year in the red. At the end of the year, mineral production fell by 1.6%, gas production – by 3%, and oil production fell to its lowest level in 16 years. In the non-resource sector, metallurgists reduced output by 2.1%, clothing and footwear factories – by 3.5%, and food production fell by 0.5% for the first time in 15 years. Output at oil refineries decreased by the same amount.

The russian economy continues to freeze: business activity has almost stopped growing. The business climate indicator, which the central bank of russia calculates monthly based on a survey of approximately 15,000 enterprises, stood at 0.2 points in February (zero separates growth in activity from decline) after 1.5 points in January, 2.5 in December, and 3.2 on average for 2025. The February figure is the worst since October 2022. Enterprises sharply worsened their assessments of their current situation: this component of the index fell from -4.2 to -7.8 points. This is the lowest since May 2022, as  are companies’ assessments of demand for their products.

russian companies continue to switch employees to part-time work en masse amid the deteriorating economic situation. In the third quarter of 2025, the number of part-time workers in russia increased by 12% compared to the previous quarter and reached 5.5 million people, the highest since 2015.

russia’s ministry of construction has supported a proposal to raise prices for management companies’ services following a recent increase in utility rates. Housing and utilities already account for about 10% of russians’ consumer spending, while a new wave of increases will intensify inflationary pressure and hit people’s pockets.

The volume of consumer loans issued in russia continues to decline for the third month in a row. In January, banks issued 1.38 million loans, which is by 14.5% less than in December 2025.

83% of russian citizens cannot afford a market mortgage, as their income is less than 100,000 rubles. russians need at least 120,000 rubles for a market mortgage. According to rosstat data, russians earned an average of 98,200 rubles in 2025, and only 16.7% of russians have incomes above 100,000 rubles.

The expenses of russian car owners in the winter of 2026 increased to 70%. The main categories of expenses include fuel, car washes, spare parts, parking, and maintenance.

russians will work overtime – the state duma has approved the draft amendments to the labor code developed by the ministry of economy.

Food delivery in russia will become at least by 10% more expensive due to new requirements. Insurance and medical examinations may make aggregators, i.e., companies that provide these services, raise their prices. At this, couriers’ incomes may decrease in the short term, as they will have to spend time and money to comply with the new requirements.

Retail sales of construction and finishing materials in russia fell more than 3.5–3.8 times in 2025. This is due to a general cooling of the market: construction volumes are declining,  while consumers are forced to revise their renovation budgets. Previously, they spent 50% of the total estimate on building materials, but now they spend no more than 30% due to the rising cost of labor.

There is a shortage of about 200,000 workers in the russian construction industry.

The net profit of one of russia’s largest natural gas producers, NOVATEK, fell 2.7 times over the year.

Second Friend Store LLC, which operates one of russia’s oldest luxury resale platforms, Second Friend Store, has announced its intention to file for bankruptcy. The company could not  cope with the financial burden. The business was focused on the middle class, which is currently “eroding” in russia.

The Tuymazy concrete mixer truck plant (part of the KAMAZ group) reported a net loss of 434.2 million rubles for 2025. Financial results deteriorated amid a significant drop in revenue, which fell 3.1 times over the year. Production indicators show a decline: in 2025, 343 concrete mixer trucks were sold (by 249 fewer than in 2024) and only 196 trailers and semi-trailers (a reduction of 3,157 units). The production of cab frames for KAMAZ decreased by 298 units. State support for the plant was reduced threefold. The wage fund decreased by 34.8%,  the average salary fell by 10.5%. The number of personnel decreased by 31.5% over the year.

In tatarstan, there is a high degree of wear and tear on the fixed assets of industrial enterprises.  For example, wear and tear in manufacturing is 40%, in rubber and plastic production – 72%, and in the furniture industry – 61%.

The total losses of tatarstan’s enterprises in 2025 increased 2.4 times and reached 212.9 billion rubles. The largest decline in profits was in metallurgical production (-62%) with a 22% increase in loan servicing costs. Revenues also fell in the manufacture of rubber and plastic products (-45%), motor vehicles (-44%), and wholesale and retail trade (-41%). In the latter two cases, loan servicing costs increased by 81% and 70%, respectively.

For the sake of saving money, the  Commission of the ministry of healthcare of the rf decided not to add trastuzumab deruxtecan, which is used to treat aggressive breast cancer, to the list of essential medicines.

The healthcare system of the rf  is short of 70.7 billion rubles for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and Bekhterev’s disease.

In one of the largest cities in western siberia, tomsk, with the  population of almost 545,000, there is a garbage collapse against the background of a deteriorating situation in the regional budget, which received a deficit of almost 18.5 billion rubles last year.

“The residents of the tomsk suburbs themselves are to blame for living in a remote area and not being able to leave by public transport,” said head of the region’s relevant department andrey milke. Local residents complained that they had to wait for buses for an hour and a half in 40-degree frost.

In kemerovo region, subsidies for kindergarten fees for children of members of the russian occupying forces have been canceled. Now, only 25% of the cost of kindergarten will be compensated from the budget, while  the remaining 75% must be paid by parents. Only children whose parents died in the war against Ukraine can count on 100% payment for kindergartens from the budget.

According to the Munich Security Report 2026, the annual report of the Munich Security Conference,  belarus is among the countries that residents of Western democracies perceive as a threat. In the Report’s chart, belarus is placed in the group of states with a negative perception balance in Western countries, alongside russia, Iran, and North Korea.

The Foreign Intelligence Service of Estonia has published its annual report, International Security and Estonia 2026, in which belarus is directly referred to as a “russian vassal state”.

Among non-seasonal food products, the most notable price increases in belarus were for salt (+5.30%), canned fruit (+4.54%), cornflakes (+2.55%), instant cocoa drink (+2.49%), and vinegar (+2.47%). Among seasonal products, the leaders in price increases were avocados (+17.15%), tomatoes (+11.05%), grapes (+6.71%), cucumbers (+6.61%), and mushrooms (+5.58%).

Over the past ten years, the number of professors and teachers in the rb has decreased by 21%.

belarus’ television will be able to use music without the consent of the authors. This was voted on by members of the belarusian parliament. In fact, this means the use of musical works without the consent of the copyright holders, which in essence corresponds to the characteristics of piracy.

lukashenko has called the brutal suppression of the January anti-government protests in iran, during which, according to different  estimates, thousands of people may have been killed, a “test of the maturity of the institutions of power and the strength of the social contract”.