Poland will not lift the indefinite ban on imports of agricultural products from Ukraine, despite the new EU-Ukraine trade agreement. This ban applies to wheat, corn, rapeseed, sunflower seeds, flour, oilcake, and bran.
In October, Petro Poroshenko declared over 55 million hryvnias in income, of which almost 52. 5 million came from the Ministry of Finance of Hungary. This is the return of principal and interest on Hungarian government bonds, as well as over 2.4 million hryvnias in interest from capital withdrawn from Ukraine.
Russian special services recruit users through pro-Russian Telegram channels to carry out minor acts of sabotage in European countries. This creates a network of low-cost agents of influence to pressure public safety in the EU.
Ukraine supported Lithuania over Belarusian provocations and airspace incursions, which caused disruptions to civil aviation. Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called Lukashenka's actions hybrid attacks by the Russian Federation against Europe.
The EU has approved the allocation of approximately 50 million euros to Ukraine under its guarantees for hospital reconstruction. These funds will be directed towards the reconstruction of facilities damaged by the war and those operating under increased strain.
Ukraine is preparing new sanctions against Russian military production and propaganda, and is also synchronizing the 19th package of European Union sanctions. President Zelenskyy emphasized the importance of blocking contacts of Russian entities working for the war.
Slovakia offers Ukrainian graduates free education at public universities, a European diploma, and employment opportunities. The cost of living for students is 400-500 euros per month, which is half as much as in neighboring countries.
Donald Trump will meet with Viktor Orban on November 8 to discuss the impact of American sanctions on Russian oil, on which Hungary is critically dependent. The meeting will take place in Washington, where ways to protect the Hungarian economy from the consequences of the restrictions will be discussed.
Lithuania is temporarily closing two border crossings with Belarus, Medininkai and Šalčininkai, for a month, starting on Wednesday. Exceptions will apply to diplomats, EU citizens, and other categories, while Šalčininkai will be completely closed and Medininkai partially open.
The European Union has condemned Belarus for provocative actions after balloons carrying smuggled cigarettes forced Lithuania to close airports. The EU warned of possible further sanctions but refrained from directly accusing the Lukashenka regime due to Hungary's objections.
As of October 29, an updated trade agreement between Ukraine and the EU is in effect, which provides for the abolition of tariffs and an increase in quotas for the export of certain agricultural products. This creates new opportunities for Ukrainian exporters, stimulating their entry into new markets.
Andrej Babiš, leader of the ANO movement, has agreed on a government coalition with the right-conservative Motoristen party and the anti-European SPD. Babiš previously stated that he would not provide Ukraine with money for weapons from the budget.
Since October 28, the EES system has been launched at all checkpoints on the Ukrainian-Hungarian border. It provides for the collection of biometric data of third-country nationals to speed up control and record the terms of stay in the EU.
On October 28, Polish fighters intercepted a Russian Il-20 aircraft over the Baltic Sea, which was performing a reconnaissance mission with its transponder turned off. The aircraft did not violate Polish airspace, but NATO countries on the eastern flank are on high alert.
British analysts have uncovered AI manipulation by Russia. Almost a fifth of the responses from popular chatbots cited Russian state sources, many of which are under EU sanctions.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the Speaker of the Seimas of Lithuania, Juozas Olekas. They discussed joint weapons production, Ukraine's European integration, and increased sanctions pressure on Russia.
The European diesel fuel market is experiencing price increases due to US sanctions against Russian oil companies and refinery disruptions. The premium of diesel futures compared to Brent crude oil contracts has reached a 20-month high.
President Zelenskyy instructed the Ministry of Finance to work out specific public needs for directing funds from frozen Russian assets. He also instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to synchronize sanctions against Russia with partners.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the need to synchronize the 19th package of European Union sanctions in all key European countries outside the EU. He instructed the Minister of Foreign Affairs to accelerate work on synchronizing sanctions against Russia.
From December 1, China obliges companies to report on the further use of products containing more than 0. 1% of Chinese raw materials. German companies need a license from Beijing to export goods manufactured using Chinese raw materials.
The European Union has significantly increased imports of diesel and jet fuel from other countries, preparing for restrictions on petroleum products produced from Russian crude oil. From October 1 to 20, almost 1.9 million barrels of fuel arrived at EU ports, which could become a monthly record.
The European Commission has proposed to the Member States to start negotiations with Ukraine on its participation in the GOVSATCOM component of the EU Space Programme and the Union's Secure Connectivity Programme. This will strengthen the resilience of the EU's communication infrastructure and is the next step in advancing Ukraine's participation in the EU Space Programme.
Hungary seeks to join forces with the Czech Republic and Slovakia to form an alliance of Ukraine skeptics in the EU. This could complicate EU efforts to provide financial and military support to Ukraine.
The Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council predicts that in the first half of November, Kremlin propaganda will focus on discrediting EU and US sanctions, as well as new nuclear threats. Narratives about the alleged ineffectiveness of sanctions and Russia's military superiority are expected to be promoted.
According to the head of the foreign policy department, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine systematically counteracts Russia's attempts to regain lost positions in the international arena, preventing its election to eight governing bodies of international organizations in 2025. This is an element of pressure and an important task of Ukrainian diplomacy.
The European Union has supported Lithuania in connection with regular flights of contraband balloons from Belarus. President of the European Council António Costa assured of full solidarity with the people of Lithuania and called on Belarus to cease hybrid activities.
Lithuania calls on the EU to impose new sanctions against Belarus after the flight of contraband balloons. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys called it part of the Belarusian regime's hybrid warfare.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum held a phone call with US President Donald Trump. They agreed to extend the deadline for trade agreements to resolve 54 outstanding trade barriers.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Ukraine is in a better position after new US sanctions against the Russian oil industry. These measures, along with the EU package, weaken Russia's economy and its ability to wage war.
Companies from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are involved in a large-scale scheme to supply fuel to Russia's shadow fleet, having carried out 286 refueling operations. This activity is a gross violation of the sanctions regime, undermining the effectiveness of Western restrictions.
