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

“We will support Ukraine, whether in times of war or in peacetime. In this context, it is worth noting that we are preparing the 22nd package of sanctions. In addition, we are preparing a proposal to cover Ukraine’s financial needs in 2027. We will present the sanctions package and the proposal on financial needs before the next European Council meeting”, said President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

Chancellor of the FRG Friedrich Merz believes that funding for Ukraine in 2027 and beyond is a shared responsibility for all EU member states and should be addressed as part of negotiations on the bloc’s long-term budget.

Prime Minister of Latvia Andris Kulbergs has called Federal Chancellor of Germany Friedrich Merz’s demand to link the adoption of the seven-year EU budget to financial support for Ukraine by all member states an “ideal strategy”.

“First and foremost, principles are more important than money. We support Ukraine because it has been invaded by russia, and russia wants to change borders by force, which is unacceptable. This concerns not only Ukraine but also a wider circle of countries – all of us”, said Prime Minister of Luxembourg Luc Frieden, speaking about the need to secure further funding for Ukraine.

At a meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives, EU Ambassadors provisionally agreed to add 145 individuals and entities involved in russia’s aggression against Ukraine, as well as cyberattacks and hybrid activities, to the sanctions lists against russia. The sanctions lists for actions against Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence will include 12 individuals and 101 entities. Those 101 entities include 50 russian banks.

European Commissioner for Finance Maria Luís Albuquerque has announced that on November 16, EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs will adopt “additional sanctions lists targeting the rf’s  oil refineries and ‘shadow fleet’ ecosystem”.

French Minister for European Affairs Benjamin Haddad has confirmed that on Monday, November 16, the European Union will approve new sanctions against russia, including restrictions targeting 50 banks.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas has pointed out that more than 20,500 Ukrainian children had been illegally deported by russia, of whom only 2,790 had been returned home as of November.

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution calling for russia’s actions against Ukrainian children to be recognized as genocide and emphasizing that their return cannot be subject to political bargaining during peace negotiations. “No lasting peace can ignore the rights of these children or the responsibility of those guilty of violating them,” the resolution states.

President of Finland Alexander Stubb notes that the recent talks in Abu Dhabi involving Ukraine, the United States, and russia demonstrate the first tentative steps forward in the peace process, and that Europe may join the dialogue in the coming weeks.

President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda considers it impossible to comply with russia’s demand to withdraw NATO troops from the Alliance’s eastern flank. “This must not happen. I believe that all European leaders understand this perfectly well, and no one will ever agree to such conditions,” he emphasized. He also believes that moscow may be using the current peace talks to buy time.

The Czech Republic may transfer 16 L-39 Skyfox interceptor aircraft to Ukraine. This statement has been  made by First Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Karel Havlíček.

The government of Canada has officially informed the Canadian Hockey Federation and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) that it will not issue visas to russians to participate in the 2027 World Junior Hockey Championship.

The government of Finland has announced that it will restrict entry into the country for russian athletes, including those competing under a neutral flag.

Since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine, $406 billion in private capital have been withdrawn from russia. This estimate is cited in a study by Director of the Stockholm Institute for Transition Economics (SITE) Torbjörn Becker.

The premium for primary aluminum from russia on the Chinese market compared to local exchange prices – which arose amid supply disruptions from the Persian Gulf – has fallen from a peak of $500 per ton to nearly zero. China is cutting back on metal imports due to declining demand in the automotive and construction sectors, while rising domestic production is creating an oversupply.

Global forecasts for russian wheat exports have been lowered by 2.5% to 39 million tons for the current season. The year-on-year decline will amount to 18.9%.

The fuel shortage that gripped russia in the summer and returned in the autumn has sharply increased the cost of trucking. As of the end of October 2026, rates for transportation by standard flatbed trucks had risen by 28.3% compared to October 2025, while rates for specialized refrigerated trucks had increased by 27.6%.

Rising prices for new trucks are leading to changes in how leasing companies handle their existing inventory: the industry is shifting from large discounts at the beginning of the year and a “sell quickly” approach to raising the prices of these vehicles. The average price of new trucks in russia rose by 24.5% in October, to 11.21 million rubles, while the average price of used trucks increased by 3%, to 4.49 million rubles.

The “aeroflot” group’s passenger traffic fell by 5.5% year-on-year in October.

In russia, the pace of business closures has accelerated amid rising taxes and a sluggish economy. From January through September, 208,500 organizations ceased operations.

A survey of 23,000 small business owners in the rf has shown that three-quarters of them, due to this year’s reduction in the revenue threshold for VAT payment, are considering scenarios in which they will have to close their businesses, curb their growth to “avoid” paying this tax, or resort to splitting their operations into smaller entities. Only 23% of those surveyed hope to avoid all of this.

The Ministry of the Interior of Latvia  proposes extending the enhanced border security regime with belarus until June 2027 – “against the background of persistent migration pressure, damage to the border, and hybrid threats”.

Since the beginning of the year, the cost of construction and installation work in the rb  has risen by 11.3%.