A working group has been created in the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to protect Ukrainian citizens who have gone abroad during the war.
“On April 9, at a government meeting, a resolution was approved on the creation of a working group to protect the rights and freedoms of citizens of Ukraine located on the territory of the EU member states and other states as temporarily displaced persons. The co-chairs of the working group were appointed Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanyshina and Minister of Social Policy Marina Lazebnaya,” the government’s press service said in a statement.
It is noted that among the tasks of the working group: the use of the Diya application in the process of making social, compensation and other payments; cancellation of roaming charges when using mobile communications abroad; providing digital consular registration of citizens during their stay abroad; provision of educational services in Ukrainian; strengthening protection mechanisms against human trafficking; creating opportunities for citizens outside of Ukraine to obtain or confirm all necessary documentation; establishing cooperation between law enforcement agencies, social protection and migration authorities of Ukraine with the relevant authorities in the EU Member States; facilitating the rapid recognition of professional qualifications and other issues.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky during a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz discussed, in particular, anti-Russian sanctions, defense and financial support for Ukraine.
“Had a phone call with @OlafScholz. They stressed that all those responsible for war crimes must be identified and punished. We discussed anti-Russian sanctions, defense and financial support for Ukraine,” Zelensky tweeted.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine supported a decision to impose a complete embargo on imports of goods from the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Economy said on Sunday, citing First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko.
“Such a decisive step by Ukraine can serve as an example for our Western partners and will encourage them to increase sanctions against Russia. Including the energy embargo and the isolation of all Russian banks,” she is quoted as saying.
According to the Ministry of Economy, the embargo on Russian imports will block foreign exchange earnings in the Russian Federation by $6 billion annually.
As reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on April 6 instructed the government to formalize the termination of trade between Ukraine and Russia.
According to the State Customs Service of Ukraine, last year the trade turnover between the countries increased by 38.7%, to $10.09 billion from $7.28 billion.
In particular, imports increased by 45.9%, to $6.65 billion from $4.56 billion, while exports – by 26.5%, to $3.44 billion from $2.71 billion.
According to the State Statistics Service, imports from the Russian Federation to Ukraine increased last year by 33.9%, to $6.08 billion, while exports to the Russian Federation increased by 26.2%, to $3.41 billion.
The main import items from the Russian Federation last year were oil and oil products – $3.43 billion (an increase of 33.5%), engineering products – $418.3 million (21.7% up), plastics and polymeric materials – $351.6 million (61.7% up), ferrous metals – $301 million (64.7% up), products of inorganic chemistry – $161.6 million (83.6% up), aluminum and aluminum products– $137.6 million (54.5% up), rubber – $126.4 million (34.8% up), glass and glass products – $115 million (65.7% up), and various chemical products – $99.1 million (85.6% up).
This list also includes nickel and nickel products – $94.1 million (83.3% up), means of land transport (except railway) – $84.5 million (56.3% up), electric machines – $81.7 million (28.4% up), ferrous metal products – $73.5 million (58.3% up), organic chemical compounds – $70.2 million (19.5% up), cardboard and paper – $59.3 million (38.2% less), and essential oils – $53.4 million (9.2% up).
In the overall structure of Ukraine’s imports, Russia accounted for 8.4%, exports – 5%.
Ukraine has abandoned the March 5 ban on the export of live cattle (UKTVED code 0102), frozen cattle meat (code 0202) and meat and edible meat by-products, salted or in brine, dried or smoked; edible flour from meat or meat by-products: cattle meat (code 021020).
According to the resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 422 of April 9, published on its website on Sunday night, licensing of the export of these goods was introduced instead of zero quotas.
Ukraine has received two batches of mobile power generators in a total of 177 received from the UK to maintain the reliability of the country’s energy supply, the Ministry of Energy said in a statement.
“In total, the UK announced the transfer of more than 500 portable generators, which will be used by both public and commercial energy companies to provide sustainable power to social facilities, homes, businesses,” the ministry said.
The generators will become a backup source of power in the event of a power outage as a result of enemy shelling of electrical networks and equipment.
“One of our main tasks is to provide our citizens, businesses, the Armed Forces of Ukraine with a stable energy supply. At a time when the Russian invaders are destroying our power grids and critical energy infrastructure, these generators will become an additional guarantee of a reliable energy supply for Ukrainians,” Minister of Energy German Galushchenko stressed. .
As informed in the Ministry of Energy, in the near future, deliveries of the following batches of mobile power generators from the UK are expected.
Sanctions imposed by the European Commission in response to aggression from Russia and Belarus allow these countries to continue trade with the European Union, the press service of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine reports.
The department points out that the order to leave the EU territory from April 16 for all trucks registered in Russia and Belarus contains many exceptions.
“In particular: natural gas and oil, including refined products, as well as titanium, aluminium, copper, nickel, palladium and iron ore; pharmaceutical, medical, agricultural and food products, including wheat and fertilizers; humanitarian cargo; separately provides for the possibility of making exceptions for Russian companies in the export and transfer of cultural property provided for temporary use,” the Ministry of Infrastructure comments.
The ministry called such sanctions inconsistent and reminded that due to the aggression of Russia and Belarus, not only the Ukrainian economy, but also the EU countries suffer.
“Currently, those goods that cannot be exported from Ukrainian ports will be delivered to the EU by road and rail. The costs of building new logistics routes will amount to billions … To receive these goods, EU member states must prepare their infrastructure for warehouses, customs points , the work of sanitary services,” explains MIU.
They also recalled that the introduction of the fifth package of sanctions by the European Commission took place against the backdrop of the massacres of civilian Ukrainians in Bucha and other cities, but the half-measures taken leave an opportunity for the EU to continue its usual business with the aggressor.
Infrastructure Minister Alexander Kubrakov, in turn, added that in this way the world repeats the mistakes of the twentieth century.
“I urge the world not to repeat the mistakes of the 20th century and instead of appeasing the aggressor, thinking about financial benefits, start fulfilling the promises made. This is the only way our common enemy loses,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
