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

The European Commission has submitted a proposal to the EU Council for a decision to provide Ukraine with EUR 3 billion as part of the eighth tranche of the Ukraine Facility, based on Ukraine’s implementation of ten reforms; the payment is scheduled for September.

EU member states have agreed to purchase US-made interceptor missiles for Ukraine’s Patriot systems totaling EUR 3.2 billion as part of an EU loan totaling 90 billion; the decision will be finalized by the end of this week.

The United Kingdom is allocating 100 million pounds sterling (EUR 116 million) for an air defense package for Ukraine ahead of winter, which includes missiles for the Patriot system.

“In addition to PAC-2 interceptor missiles, Germany will further increase the steady supply of AIM-9 air-to-air missiles from Bundeswehr stocks to provide Ukraine with a larger quantity of them. These missiles are being delivered right now and will strengthen Ukraine’s air defense before winter sets in,” said Minister of Defence of Germany Boris Pistorius.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas has warned that sabotage and other russian hybrid threats are approaching Europe at a time when political forces that ignore this fact are gaining popularity on the continent. “That is why I am simply afraid that we may wake up to a situation where we have not done enough to avert the threats and protect ourselves,” she emphasized. At the same time, Kallas has expressed hope that the visit of the US President’s Special Envoys to Ukraine had convinced them that russia is not showing any genuine interest in peace.

US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, following visits to moscow and Kyiv, announced that “substantial progress” had been made in coordinating the schedule for additional trilateral talks.

During its presidency of the Council of the European Union, Lithuania will prioritize providing support to Ukraine. “Europe faces a choice: to react or to lead. We choose leadership by providing stronger support to Ukraine, imposing tougher sanctions against russia and belarus, and speeding up the European path for Ukraine and Moldova,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Kęstutis Budrys.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Tom Berendsen believes that russia’s escalation of the hybrid war is evidence that Western pressure is effective.

Germany has funded a new shipment of energy equipment worth over EUR 640,000 for Dnipropetrovsk region.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary has ordered 10 employees of the russian diplomatic mission to leave the country, according to the Republic’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Orbán. In her words, those individuals were engaged in “activities unacceptable for diplomats under the Vienna Convention”. “The decision is aimed at protecting Hungary’s security and sovereignty”, Orbán emphasized.

The European Union considers quite expected the Hungarian government’s decision to expel 10 members of the russian  diplomatic corps from the country.

At the Prime Minister’s suggestion, Lithuania’s Ministry of Education, Science, and Sports has removed works by russian scientist and writer mikhail lomonosov and poet gavriil derzhavin from school curricula.

Finland has completed construction of a 200-kilometer fence along some sections of its border with russia. The total cost of the project, which began in 2023, amounted to EUR 356 million.

Following oil, timber, and coal, China has become a key destination for russian exports of gold, which – since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine – has been subject to international sanctions and banned from the world’s major gold markets. In the first seven months of 2026, 100 tons of gold bullion of russian origin were shipped to Hong Kong. Compared to the same period last year, the volume of shipments tripled.

According to statistics from the central bank of the rf, in 2026 russia’s economy experienced a sharp surge in “grey” transactions involving the transfer of funds abroad. According to the regulator’s estimates, in the second quarter, $12.2 billion left the country as a result of transactions that did not fall under any of the standard categories (imports, debt repayment, investments, etc.) and were classified as “net errors and omissions” in the balance of payments. The volume of such transactions – which the central bank itself cannot explain – increased 8.7-fold compared to January–March ($1.4 billion).

In russia, the number of unprofitable credit institutions – banks and microfinance companies – has risen sharply. By the end of the second quarter of 2026, nearly a quarter (24.5%) of all market participants were operating at a loss.

As of August 1, the number of corporate borrowers (companies and sole proprietors) from russian banks stood at 709,600, of which more than a quarter had delinquent debt. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, the number of delinquent borrowers has tripled, and their share of the total number of debtors has more than doubled.

The main vegetables included in the so-called “basic soup set” cost, on average, by 20–38% more in russian retail shops at the end of August 2026 than they did a year earlier. The price increases were driven by a reduction in planted acreage and rising costs for farmers. The cost of transporting vegetables from producing regions rose due to a fuel shortage, while labor costs increased due to stricter immigration policies.

Sellers on “wildberries” have reported that 20 billion rubles in payments for goods sold have not been paid.

russian authorities are preparing to extend the service life of An-28 aircraft, developed in the ussr, from 40 to 50 years.

russia has begun restricting reservists’ travel abroad in accordance with decisions by military commissariats.

The average monthly nominal wage in June fell in 15 regions of the rf compared to May. The sharpest drop in average wages (by 18%) occurred in tuva and kamchatka.

buryatia has declared a state of increased  readiness due to an outbreak of disease among livestock in irkutsk region. Authorities are citing nodular dermatitis, while experts point to foot-and-mouth disease. Earlier, authorities of irkutsk region declared a state of emergency.

lukashenko has turned belarus into a platform for russia’s war, believes Kaja Kallas, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. “His regime also threatens belarus’ European neighbors and uses illegal migration as a weapon against them. The complexity of the contraband tunnels indicates the presence of organized support. There are strong grounds to believe that minsk is facilitating this,” she stated.

Fundamental changes are needed to begin a dialogue with belarus. This was stated by Asta Skajskgiritė, an Advisor to the President of Lithuania. In her view, Vilnius’ position toward minsk is becoming tougher rather than softening. “The belarusian regime is a repressive regime; sanctions against belarus must be strengthened,” she said.

Riga plans to impose a 300% tariff on russian and belarusian grain, said Prime Minister of Latvia Andris Kulbergs.

The Ministry of Transport of Latvia has submitted proposals to the government to amend the Law on Road Transportation. These amendments would ban international passenger transportation by bus to russia and belarus, as well as transit to those countries through Latvia’s territory.

According to data for January–July 2026, belarus’ trade deficit in goods exceeded $3 billion.

Auto parts have become significantly more expensive in belarus, with prices having risen by 67% over four months.