Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Serhiy Shkarlet says that about 24,000 Ukrainian teachers have moved abroad because of the war.
“As of today, approximately 24,000 teachers who left the territory of Ukraine have become registered,” Shkarlet said on national telethon Wednesday afternoon.
The minister also reported statistics he received from Poland’s education minister.
In particular, 40,000 Ukrainian children have already been enrolled in kindergartens in Poland, 140,000 in elementary school, 20,000 in high school and 500 students.
“But 40% of all children are taught in Ukrainian-speaking classes, particularly in Poland,” said the Minister.
Volunteers donated more than 5,000 units of medical equipment to Ukrainian hospitals, the press service of the Ministry of Health reported on Wednesday.
At the same time, it is specified that in March-April volunteer organizations for medical institutions transferred 5234 units of medical equipment, 7.9 million units. medicines, 58.2 thousand units. consumables, 1.27 million units. other medical support.
The European Union proposes to ban real estate transactions in the territory of the union with citizens, residents and legal entities of the Russian Federation within the framework of new sanctions against Russia, Bloomberg reports with reference to a document on the planned sanctions.
“The proposal of the European Commission provides for the termination of real estate transactions with Russian citizens, residents and legal entities, prohibiting the sale or transfer, directly or indirectly, of “ownership rights in real estate located in the territory of the Union, or shares in collective investment enterprises providing access to such real estate,” the agency writes.
The proposed ban applies to Russians who are not EU citizens and do not have a residence permit in the union countries. The measure does not apply to those who have citizenship or a residence permit in the European Economic Area or Switzerland.
Bloomberg notes that the measure itself will come into force if the corresponding proposal is approved by EU member states this week.
Earlier on Wednesday, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that among other sanctions proposed by the European Commission are the disconnection of three Russian banks, including Sberbank, from the SWIFT international payment system, a ban on broadcasting in the EU of three major state-owned Russian television channels, as well as a ban on providing Russian companies of services of a number of European specialists. In addition, the EC is proposing a phase-out of Russian oil imports, which von der Leyen said should take six months and be completed by the end of 2022.
The European Commission will soon submit a report on the readiness of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia to join the European Union, European Council President Charles Michel said.
“We discussed in detail the issues of EU enlargement a few months ago, at the conference in Versailles. After that, three countries applied for accession. We made a decision very quickly, instructing the European Commission to carry out work and prepare reports on these countries. We made a decision in a few days, although it usually took 8-9 months. By the end of June, the European Commission will publish this report, and we will decide how to proceed further,” Michel said at a joint press conference with Moldovan President Maia Sandu during a visit to Chisinau.
He stressed that the EU will continue to act promptly.
“We will act immediately to strengthen ties with Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia, to support them in the current difficult situation. This will be a political process in the context of how we see the development of the European Union. In the next two months, we will give a clear signal of what we want to enlarge the European Union,” the President of the European Council said.
For her part, Moldovan President Maia Sandu stressed that “European integration is the choice of the country, the choice of the people.” “On April 22, we submitted to Brussels the first part of our responses to the European Commission’s questionnaire. In the near future we will also pass on the second part. We understand that integration into the EU is a long process, we are not looking for short and easy ways. We intend to continue reforms. Most importantly – peace is needed for this, everything must be done to restore peace,” Sandu stressed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on international business to provide direct aid to Ukraine through the instrument of war bonds or accounts in the National Bank.
“Many of your board member companies have made contributions to UNICEF, the Red Cross and other international organizations,” he said, speaking at the Wall Street Journal CEO Council Summit Tuesday night.
“I am grateful for this, but unfortunately, most of these funds have not reached Ukrainian citizens and our state. We need direct aid through the instrument of war bonds or to an account in our Central Bank, through which we help our citizens,” he said, adding, “By helping us, you are helping yourself, because this aid is provided for the sake of stability and freedom.”
Zelensky also urged businesses to open representative offices, subdivisions, production facilities, companies, offices, and branches in Ukraine. “In our country you will get access not only to our market, but also to the market of the European Union,” the head of state said. He reminded that Ukraine had already received a decision from the EU that all duties for Ukrainian exports to the EU would be removed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky outspeaks against the freezing of the conflict with Russia.
Speaking at the Wall Street Journal CEO Council Summit Tuesday night, he said, referring to a possible cease-fire, that “it doesn’t mean Russian troops will stand where they are now. It’s a frozen conflict. We’re not going to agree to a frozen conflict.”
He called the Minsk agreements the kind that led to the frozen conflict. “I am against it, there will be no such document. We did not withdraw from Minsk, Russia withdrew from it on February 24. They did, and Ukraine will definitely not go into such a swamp again.”
At the same time, according to Zelensky, he does not see the desire of the Russian Federation to achieve a ceasefire. “If we have a meeting with President Putin, then maybe we can agree with him personally. He should commit to a ceasefire, preferably public, then we can believe in it,” the president said.
He also said that “we must first take the appropriate steps to stop the war, and then diplomacy will come into play.” “It is desirable to do the first stage and we have done that – to stop Russia in its advance. The second stage is to do as much as possible so that Russia withdraws from our territory. Now we are in the second stage. The third stage is to restore as much territorial integrity as possible,” he said.
In his opinion, “where it is possible to restore territorial integrity, to find some compromises through dialogue in words, not through dialogue of weapons, Ukraine will do it, but showing its position as an equal partner in any dialogue”.
Zelensky noted that “our groups are communicating at the level of negotiators,” but “I do not really believe in such agreements.” “It’s important to talk, but until the president of the Russian Federation personally says it officially, and I don’t see the weight in such agreements,” Zelensky said.
