Ukraine needs to unite the position of the Europeans today, because this will achieve greater success and victory in the battle with Russia, believes boxer, brother of the mayor of Kyiv Vladimir Klitschko.
“The leader of Germany’s largest opposition party, the Christian Democratic Union, Friedrich Merz, was in Kyiv today. He met with the top leadership of Ukraine, met with the mayor of the capital. He expressed support and assured of further assistance to our state. And we are grateful for this. I am convinced that Ukraine today critically needs reliable and powerful partners, with whom it is necessary to talk, develop cooperation, be grateful for something, convince of something,” Klitschko wrote on Facebook on Wednesday.
He noted that Germany was concerned that Ukraine refused to accept German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
“The non-diplomatic statements of the Ukrainian ambassador to the German chancellor are also adding fuel to the fire. Now is not the time for emotions and excessive eloquence! I am sure that President Zelensky must nevertheless take a politically balanced step and invite the President of Germany, Ukraine’s strategic partner state, to Kyiv. We we need to unite the position of the Europeans today – this is how we will achieve greater success for our country and victory in the battle with the Russian aggressor,” Klitschko summed up.
In April, the German publication Bild, citing its own sources, reported that German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier planned to come to Kyiv along with government delegations from other EU countries, but Zelensky allegedly did not want to meet him because of the close ties of the German leader with Russia.
Later, Steinmeier himself said that Kyiv considered his possible visit to Ukraine undesirable, adding that Polish President Andrzej Duda had proposed a joint trip to Ukraine in recent days in order to “give a strong signal of European solidarity with Ukraine.”
Against this background, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, according to the German edition Der Tagesspiegel, criticized Ukraine’s refusal to receive the German president on a visit, calling it “somewhat confusing” and urged not to underestimate the fact that Germany supplies Ukraine with anti-aircraft missiles and many other goods military purpose.
On April 13, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the Office of the President of Ukraine had not received a request from the Office of the President of Germany regarding the visit of German leader Frank-Walter Steinmeier to Ukraine.
At the same time, he stressed that in the conditions of war and the daily death of people in Ukraine, she has the right to afford “to receive and be in the circle of those leaders of countries who really support her.”
Metallurgical enterprises of Ukraine in January-April this year reduced steel production by 45.9% compared to the same period last year – to 3.858 million tonnes. According to the recent information of the Ukrainian Association of Secondary Metals (UAVtormet), in April, only one steel plant produced steel.
“Insignificant volumes of steel production were shown by some foundry enterprises,” the information of UAVtormet says.
In addition, it is reported that ferrous scrap enterprises for the four months of 2022 reduced procurement of scrap metal by 50.4% compared to the same period in 2021, to 620,100 tonnes.
The export of scrap metal for the specified period amounted to 7,100 tonnes, which is 12.3 times less compared to the four months of 2021 (87,000 tonnes). At the same time, scrap imports amounted to 100 tonnes, while in January-April 2021 – 7,800 tonnes.
The supply of scrap to the country’s steel enterprises in January-April 2022 decreased by 47.1% compared to January-April 2021, to 583,500 tonnes. The total volume of scrap metal supplies in April amounted to 52,500 tonnes.
The level of scrap metal stocks at steel enterprises as of May 1, 2022 is estimated at 60,000 tonnes.
It is planned to build two residential complexes of 50,000 square meters each in Irpin and Borodianka (Kyiv region) in five months, head of the Kyiv regional military administration Oleksandr Pavliuk said in the Telegram channel.
“Thousands of families were left without homes. And our task as representatives of state power is to provide them with new comfortable housing. We have prepared proposals for developers in the region. To solve this ambitious task, we need joint work, synergy of business, local authorities and the state,” Pavliuk said during a meeting with developers in the region on Monday.
Thus, sites have already been selected for the construction of the residential complexes, taking into account the necessary communications and road infrastructure. The project also provides for the construction of bomb shelters, playgrounds and other social infrastructure.
Developers will be able to decide on participation in the project after studying the sketches and terms of reference.
According to the official, the procedures for starting construction work and commissioning for such projects can be simplified at the legislative level.
According to him, in Kyiv region there are more than 42,000 square meters of apartments put into operation and ready for purchase.
“At present, consultations are being held with developers on the recommended price for the purchase of apartments. In addition, each apartment must have all the necessary plumbing and furniture,” Pavliuk added.
The Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) has adopted a bill on limiting the circulation of medicines produced in the Russian Federation and Belarus (registration No. 7313).
The adoption of bill No. 7313 at the final reading at a session on Tuesday was supported by 316 MPs with the required 226 votes, Yaroslav Zhelezniak, a member of the Holos parliamentary faction, said on his Telegram channel.
As reported, bill No. 7313, which restricts the circulation of medicines produced in the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus, and authored by a group of MPs of the Servant of the People faction, including Head of the committee on national health, medical care and medical insurance Mykhailo Radutsky, was registered in the Rada on April 25, 2022.
According to First Deputy Minister of Health Oleksandr Komarida, state registration of medicines (all or selectively determined by the Ministry of Health) of an applicant in Ukraine can be temporarily canceled (registration certificate terminated) if it is established that this applicant or his representative is directly or indirectly related to business entities who are directly or indirectly involved in the production of medicines on the territory of the aggressor state (the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus).
In addition, the registration of the drug may be canceled if, after February 23, 2022, the applicant participated in at least one of the stages of production of any medicinal product or active pharmaceutical ingredients by an enterprise located on the territory of the aggressor state.
The Cabinet of Ministers has abolished customs control of nonfood products during martial law, Taras Melnychuk, a representative of the government in the Verkhovna Rada, said on Telegram following a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on Tuesday.
“Temporarily, for the period until the suspension or lifting of martial law, the commission by the customs authorities of state control of nonfood products,” he wrote.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Albania for its support and assistance to Ukrainian refugees.
“Thank you for the fact that the people of Albania did not hesitate whom to support in this struggle. You have definitely taken the side of freedom and truth,” he told the Albanian parliament on Tuesday, speaking via video link.
“Thank you for concrete steps, for defense assistance, for supporting sanctions against Russia, for taking care of our people and accepting our children, in particular in Durres,” Zelensky said.
According to the president, “such an attitude towards Ukrainians in difficult times reminds me of Holy Mother Teresa, an Albanian whose life has become a symbol of humanism.”
“She taught people that good can overcome evil and get closer to the holiness that people will remember from generation to generation,” Zelensky said.
