European Union

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.

About a hundred people protested outside the Georgian parliament building against the proposed law on "foreign agents" with placards reading "No to the Russian law" and "Two years of perseverance towards Europe.

Negotiations between Poland, the EU, and the relevant associations failed to take the first step toward unblocking the border due to disagreements among Polish associations, some of which opposed the proposed solution at the last minute, despite having initially reached a consensus.

The EU called on Georgia to refuse to revise the draft law on "transparency of foreign influence" due to its potential impact on media freedom and Georgia's EU accession process.

Russia's veto of North Korea's ballistic missile control and their cooperation in providing weapons to attack Ukraine demonstrates the close ties between Russia and North Korea amid Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Borrell points out.

Prime Minister Shmyhal discussed with Latvian lawmakers their comprehensive support for Ukraine and thanked them for their military and financial assistance.