German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Germany is studying the list of weapons requested by Ukraine and plans to “find out what can be supplied quickly.”
“The lists include anti-tank weapons and air defense weapons,” Scholz told reporters in Berlin on Tuesday following a video conference with US President Joe Biden and other G7 leaders.
According to him, weapons that the Ukrainian army already knows how to use should be supplied. At the same time, the chancellor stressed that the possibilities of the FRG to supply arms were “almost exhausted.”
Scholz also said that NATO would not interfere in the conflict in Ukraine.
“NATO will not interfere in the conflict,” he said.
In turn, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, speaking in the House of Commons, that “NATO’s long-term goal should be to strengthen and strengthen Ukraine to such a level that Russia will never dare to invade again.”
At the same time, the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, following a video conference, said that the EU will create a special Ukraine Solidarity Fund, which will be used to support and restore Ukraine.
“We discussed with US President Joe Biden and like-minded partners a further coordinated response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. We discussed the need for further humanitarian, financial and military assistance. The EU will create a Solidarity Fund with Ukraine to immediately support and restore democratic Ukraine,” wrote the President of the European Council Charles Michel on Twitter.
Japan has promised to increase the volume of loans provided to Ukraine from $100 million to $300 million, Western media reported, citing a statement by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Kisida noted that “support for the Ukrainian economy is an urgent task.”
Earlier Tuesday, Japanese Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi promised that Tokyo would provide Ukraine with masks and clothing capable of protecting against chemical weapons, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles. The cargo will be shipped on commercial flights as soon as it’s ready, he added.
Ukraine will be able to sow approximately 14.2 million hectares in the course of spring field work this season. agricultural land, which is 80% of last year’s figure of 16.9 million hectares, the reduction in sown area is caused by the invasion of the aggressor country of the Russian Federation and the temporary occupation of part of the country’s territory.
The relevant data was announced by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmygal before a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on Tuesday.
“As of April 18, the projected sown area of the main spring crops in the controlled area is 14.2 million hectares. This is 2.7 million hectares less than last year. That is, in fact, we will sow more than 80% this year last year’s areas with spring crops,” the Prime Minister stressed.
Previously, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food estimated the area under spring crops in 2022 at 13.44 million hectares, compared with 16.92 million hectares in 2021.
As reported, in mid-March, Deputy Head of the President’s Office Rostyslav Shurma said that Ukraine’s goal in 2022 is to harvest at least 70% of last year’s volumes.
Taras Vysotsky, First Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy, gave a similar assessment – he estimated the areas that Ukraine will be able to sow with spring crops in 2022 at a level of at least 70% of the 2021 figures. At the same time, about 10% of the sown areas may remain unused due to the risk of their being mined by Russian invaders or the resumption of hostilities nearby.
After 50 days of the war: 41% of AmCham Ukraine member companies are fully operational, 50% continue to work partially. 29% of member companies have relocated within Ukraine, and 19% are relocated outside Ukraine. 15% of businesses had to close offices in some regions, 2% had to shut down totally.
The American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine conducted the latest Survey “Doing Business during War in Ukraine. Week 8” to show the current state of business and what changes and challenges organizations are going through.
103 CEOs and top managers of AmCham member companies took part in the Survey, conducted on April 11 – April 18, 2022. 71% of the respondents are CEOs.
The AmCham members were asked to identify what their companies were doing differently during the war to continue operations. 52% indicated they had to reshape business models, 40% – implemented cost-cutting efforts, 20% – launched new business directions or services. 17% – took projects from the parent offices in other countries, 13% – search for new clients outside Ukraine, 9% – search for financing in different countries. Unfortunately, 2% of members were forced to sell assets. Only 17% indicated they had no changes at all.
72% of AmCham Ukraine member companies continue to pay full salaries during the war and provide extra support. 16% pay full salary, 6% – partially reduced salary, 6% of businesses pay 50% of salary.
20% stated that their company’s plants/factories/facilities/storehouses/offices have minor damages, 3% have unrepairable damage, 3% are still under occupation, other 3% don’t have information yet. 57% of member companies had so far no damage during the war.
AmCham Ukraine member companies continue to provide support to the humanitarian drive. The most common ways of support are financial support (76%), volunteering drive within the companies’ employees (75%), providing in-kind goods (44%), providing services (41%), providing medicines (24%), providing protection means (17%).
AmCham member companies continue to support Ukraine’s territorial defense units and defense forces: 71% of members indicated that some of their companies’ employees joined the territorial defense units, 35% of companies provide goods and medicines, another 34% – provide financial support, 22% – provide services or protection means.
The business representatives were asked to indicate the biggest challenges for their organizations after 50 days of the war. Safety and security of employees (79%), logistics and transport (50%), and absence of clients or orders (36%) were identified by business representatives as the top-3 major challenges. Among others are export-import operations (26%), relocation (14%), and damaged assets and property (10%).
The most difficult question of the Survey was about the safety and security of employees. 76% of respondents said that all of their companies’ employees are safe. Sadly, there were painful numbers also, with 14% of companies’ having instances of employees injured and 7% – having instances of employees killed.
87% of AmCham member companies are ready to actively participate in Ukraine’s post-war economic rebuilding.
85% of business representatives support that companies following business ethics and ESG policies mustn’t work in the murderous pariah regime in Russia that continues to commit genocide and war crimes across Ukraine.
“After more than 50 days of war, 41% of AmCham Ukraine members are fully operational, and 50% of AmCham Ukraine members continue to work partially in Ukraine. To continue operations in Ukraine means to continue keeping Ukraine’s economy running. 87% of AmCham members are ready to actively participate in Ukraine’s post-war economic rebuilding. We have a lot of work ahead to make Ukraine flourish, and we see how lionhearted Ukrainians lead Ukraine to victory,” commented Andy Hunder, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine.
Full Results of the Survey are available here.
About the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine:
The American Chamber of Commerce is Ukraine’s most influential international business association that has been serving members in Ukraine since 1992, delivering the shared voice of US, international and Ukrainian companies, who invested over $50 bln in Ukraine and remain committed to the country till today, during the war. For more information, please visit our website https://chamber.ua/ and #StandWithUkraine page with daily updates on how you can help Ukraine and Ukrainians during this significant time of need https://chamber.ua/news/standwithukraine/
OTP Leasing LLC, the largest player in the market, has already purchased agricultural equipment worth UAH 100 million since the beginning of the war and intends to increase purchases to UAH 1 billion this spring, Andriy Pavlushin, CEO of the leasing company, said.
“The vast majority of customers paid their monthly payments even in these terrible 50 days of war,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
Pavlushin added that the company also helped the Ukrainian army for UAH 58 million in cars, trucks and money, and continues to do so.
On April 6, the CEO announced that after a 41-day break, OTP-Leasing again began financing existing proven agricultural clients of medium and small businesses, “those clients who paid invoices for March on time.”
Pavlushin then indicated that he had bought tractors and seeders for UAH 70 million during the week.
OOO “OTP Leasing” is a part of the European financial group OTP Group. The company was founded in June 2008 as a subsidiary of OTP Bank. Currently, according to the CEO, the company has 2,000 customers and 170 employees.
The company’s revenue for 9 months of 2021 decreased by 44.2% – to UAH 99.71 million, while net profit almost doubled – by 95.7%, to UAH 463.3 million, and assets increased by 31.5% – up to UAH 15.11 billion, including long-term receivables – by 29.2%, up to UAH 14 billion.
The global satellite system for Internet access Starlink plans to open a representative office in Ukraine, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov said on Tuesday.
“Now, Ukraine is almost impossible to imagine without modern Starlink technology. And this technology will become even more accessible to Ukrainians. After all, today we received another positive news: Starlink has begun work on opening a representative office in Ukraine,” he wrote on his Telegram channel.
Fedorov also said that, for his part, he instructed the relevant authorities to complete the necessary procedures for certification, measurements and the provision of frequencies as soon as possible.
According to Fedorov, today, more than 10,000 Starlink stations help the Armed Forces of Ukraine to stay in touch and carry out special operations, support the operation of critical energy and telecommunications facilities, healthcare facilities and even the sowing season, and also return de-occupied territories to life.
