As part of EU sanctions, the Bulgarian authorities imposed a ban on entry into their ports for ships from Russia, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Sunday.
“All ships flying the Russian flag, as well as ships that changed the Russian flag or registration to any other state after February 24, are denied access to the sea and river ports of Bulgaria,” AP quotes excerpts from a statement by the Bulgarian Maritime Administration.
AP specifies that the Bulgarian authorities will make an exception for ships in distress or in need of humanitarian assistance, as well as ships carrying energy, food and medicine to the EU.
On the eve it became known about a similar order of the Italian authorities. At the same time, Russian cargo ships, which are currently in Italy, were ordered by the authorities to go to sea as soon as they complete their current operations.
Earlier in April, the EU introduced another package of sanctions against the Russian Federation, ordering, in particular, to close ports for ships from Russia. At the same time, exceptions are provided for the transportation of a number of goods, for example, energy carriers, agricultural products.
The European Union is allocating an additional €50 million in humanitarian aid to support Ukrainians in need, according to the EU Humanitarian Projects Office.
“The EU is allocating another 50 million euros in humanitarian assistance to support Ukrainians in need. This new funding will provide emergency medical services, safe drinking water, shelters, cash assistance, support in the fight against gender-based violence,” reads a statement published in Sunday on twitter.
Later, the head of the European Union Delegation to Ukraine, Matti Maasikas, specified that the new aid package from the EU would be aimed at meeting the most pressing humanitarian needs.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced a state program for the construction of housing for those who lost it as a result of the occupation, as well as for the military, law enforcement officers, teachers and other public sector employees.
“At the first stage, temporary housing should be provided to displaced persons, those whose houses were destroyed by the war. Temporary – until we restore their housing. Or until people are compensated in square meters or money,” he said in a traditional video message on Saturday evening.
According to the president, at the second stage, “we are restoring what the occupiers tried to destroy – all the cities, communities that suffered.” “And at the third stage, we will provide housing for everyone who defended our state, who worked or is working in the interests of society, but did not have their own housing. It cannot be that a person gives everything, his life to military service, and retires without having his own apartment,” Zelensky said.
“I believe that we will be able not only to restore what was destroyed, but also to restore justice for those whose right to housing has been violated,” he said.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky had a conversation with Prime Minister of Sweden Magdalena Andersson.
“I spoke with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. He spoke about the critical situation in Mariupol. We discussed defense support for Ukraine, strengthening anti-Russian sanctions. I thanked for supporting Ukraine’s accession to the EU,” Zelensky wrote on Twitter.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy and Turkey demonstrate their readiness to become guarantors of Ukraine’s security, but there is still no final answer from anyone
“Today, those who demonstrate that they are ready – we don’t have any signatories yet, but there is a demonstration – from Johnson, from Britain, from the USA, from Italy, from Turkey. I think it will be separate from the European Union,” reports he said, said on Saturday in an interview with the Ukrainian online media outlet Ukrayinska Pravda.
“I spoke separately with Ursula (President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen), separately with Charles Michel (Head of the European Council Charles Michel – UP), France, Germany.
We will do the first circle of conversation in this format for five (Britain, USA, Germany, France, Poland). Then other countries will join,” Zelensky said.
According to the publication, Zelensky believes that Ukraine will not have a problem with weapons or sanctions against the aggressor country, but there will be issues with the military component.
The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation is the most famous Ukrainian charitable organization, according to a survey conducted by Info Sapiens.
“So, 94.3% of the polled Ukrainians named it without prompting. In second place is the International Committee of the Red Cross (70% named it), in third place is the Pinchuk Foundation (45.3%),” Info Sapiens said in a report on the results of the study released on Friday.
Only those organizations that scored more than 1% of spontaneous knowledge about Ukraine in November-December 2021 were included in the list. It is assumed that if the study were conducted now, the Come Back Alive Foundation and other funds that help the Armed Forces of Ukraine would have made the list, but before the war they scored less than 1% in spontaneous knowledge.
In addition, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation is the leader in philanthropy in Ukraine. Almost half of Ukrainians consider the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation the largest charitable organization in Ukraine. 76% of Ukrainians positively assess its activities.
