The proposal of the European Commission regarding the sixth package of sanctions with an oil embargo on Russia because of the war it unleashed against Ukraine will be supported by all member states of the European Union, European Council President Charles Michel has said with confidence.
“I can assure you that I’m working very hard with my team and with my colleagues in order to make sure that we will be able in very short term to take united position on the proposal putted on the table by the Commission,” he said in an exclusive interview with the Interfax-Ukraine.
Michel recalled that “systematically in the past there were some concerns that we would not be able to be united.” “We were systematically able to adopt united position. And, of course, it required some negotiations, talks, decision. We need the support of the 27 governments. A few weeks ago I said publicly in the European Parliament that sooner or later oil and gas would be part of the sanctions. This is an important step… This is Commission which makes a proposal but these are the governments, this is Council which takes a decision,” the President of the European Council said.
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.
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.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, following a conversation with the head of German diplomacy Annalena Berbock, said that Germany plays a decisive role in preparing the EU oil embargo against Russia.
“I spoke with my German colleague Annalena Burbock and thanked her for her decision to support the oil embargo against Russia. Germany plays a decisive role in preparing this step. I also stressed that granting Ukraine the status of an EU candidate is in the interests of Ukraine, Germany and Europe,” he wrote. Kuleba on Twitter on Monday.
The Union of European Football Associations has decided not to allow Russian clubs to participate in the Champions League and Europa League season 2022/2023, the UEFA press service reported on Monday.
There will be no Russian clubs in UEFA club competitions in the 2022/23 season.
Thus, there will be no Russian teams next season in the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, UEFA Women’s Champions League and UEFA Youth League.
Russian clubs and national teams were suspended by the decision of UEFA and FIFA on February 28 due to the situation in Ukraine.
The Verkhovna Rada has registered a draft law restricting the circulation of medicines produced in the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus.
Relevant bill No. 7313 of April 25, 2022, authored by a group of MPs of the Servant of the People faction, including head of the Committee on Public Health, Medical Assistance and Medical Insurance Mykhailo Radutsky, was registered in the Verkhovna Rada.
As reported, according to First Deputy Minister of Health Oleksandr Komarida, state registration in Ukraine of medicines (all or selectively determined by the Ministry of Health) of an applicant may be temporarily canceled (registration certificate terminated) if it is established that this applicant or his representative is directly or indirectly related to with business entities that are directly or indirectly involved in production of medicines on the territory of the aggressor state (the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus).
In addition, the registration of a 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.
