European Union

The EU has sent 167 power generators to Ukraine as emergency aid after Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure severely damaged its power supply.

Border guards rescued a 42-year-old man who had been wandering in the Carpathians for six days trying to illegally cross the border into the European Union.

Moscow is trying to destabilize Moldovan democracy and society by using pro-Russian figures, such as Gagauzia's governor, Evgenia Gutsul, to create conditions for potential Russian aggression against Moldova.

The EU has agreed to extend the suspension of import duties and quotas on Ukrainian exports to the EU until June 5, 2025, while strengthening safeguards for sensitive agricultural products such as poultry, eggs, sugar, oats, corn, cereals, and honey.

March 2023 was the tenth consecutive month with record-high global temperatures, continuing the trend of extreme heat around the world, according to the EU Climate Monitoring Service.

Iran opens a new consulate in Damascus to replace the one destroyed by an Israeli air strike that killed Iranian soldiers.

The EU has temporarily agreed to duty-free trade for Ukraine until June 2025, but with the possibility of imposing restrictions on sensitive agricultural products such as poultry, eggs, sugar, oats, cereals, corn, and honey if imports exceed the average level from July 2021 to December 2023.

Russian occupants filmed the loading of Ukrainian grain onto ships in the port of Mariupol, and at least three dry cargo ships were identified, as well as several grain trading companies involved in the export of stolen grain from Ukrainian territories.

Moldova's ambassador to the EU expects Chisinau to start accession talks with the EU by the end of June 2024, moving faster than the Western Balkan countries in the accession process.

The IT Coalition formed expert subgroups within the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, and Estonia and Luxembourg announced new financial contributions to support Ukraine's IT, communications and cybersecurity capabilities.

As of February 2024, 4. 2 million Ukrainians, accounting for 98% of all recipients, have been granted temporary protection in the EU since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Lukashenko claims that the Western-backed opposition is seeking to seize part of Belarus in order to invite foreign troops and provoke an armed confrontation.

European defense contractors warn that dependence on Chinese cotton lint threatens the expansion of ammunition production, which is needed to replenish stocks and support Ukraine in its war against Russia.

U. S. officials warn that China is providing significant assistance to Russia's military-industrial complex, which threatens Ukraine and global security.

Ukraine proposes to ban air transit to Russia and Belarus to prevent Russian businesses and tourists from using EU airspace and to increase sanctions pressure on the aggressor.

Polish farmers have partially unblocked the Hrebenne-Rava-Ruska border crossing, allowing 15 empty trucks to enter Poland daily.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron will visit the United States next week to urge lawmakers to approve a $60 billion military and financial aid package for Ukraine that has been stalled in Congress for months.

Trade between Turkey and Russia has been shrinking due to Western sanctions, and Turkish exporters of engineering products are facing a potential $1 billion drop in sales to Russia this year as sanctions lists are rapidly expanding to target goods that could be used for military purposes.

An international special tribunal to prosecute war crimes in Ukraine could be established by the end of 2024, with options for its creation based on a multilateral or bilateral agreement being considered, European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders has said.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal met with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda to discuss continued defense cooperation, sanctions and confiscation of Russian assets, humanitarian aid, and Ukraine's integration into the EU and NATO.

Portugal's new government, led by Prime Minister Luiz Montenegro, supports Ukraine's accession to the European Union, having put aside previous hesitations.

President Zelenskyy signs a decree imposing sanctions against 86 legal entities and 7 individuals, including foreign nationals, for a period of 3 to 10 years.

Lithuania will allocate 15 million euros for rehabilitation programs for wounded Ukrainian soldiers and purchase 3,000 drones for Ukraine.

The prime ministers of Lithuania and Ukraine discussed further sanctions against Russia, preventing the bypassing of the Belarusian or other schemes, and confiscation of frozen Russian assets in favor of Ukraine.

Lithuania plans to purchase about 3,000 FPV drones worth 2 million euros for Ukraine.

Two German companies, Knauf and WKB Systems, are supplying Russians with construction materials to rebuild occupied Mariupol. Knauf Ukraine has refused to comment on the situation regarding assistance to the occupiers.

Ukraine's international reserves rose to $43. 8 billion in early April, up 18% over the month, thanks to significant inflows from international partners of over $9 billion, which exceeded debt repayments and foreign currency sales.

According to the MP, blocking tax invoices is a serious problem for Ukrainian business, creating a "tax nightmare" that threatens the country's economic security and disrupts the operation of enterprises in wartime.

International partners have allocated more than $700 million for humanitarian demining projects in Ukraine for 2022-2027, with the United States, Switzerland, Norway, EU countries, Japan, the Netherlands, and Germany among the key donors.

NATO member states should provide immediate emergency support to Ukraine with air defense systems, missiles and ammunition, and create a long-term, predictable structure, backed by financial commitments, to ensure continued support for Ukraine against Russia's armed aggression.