Ukraine has sent the second batch of humanitarian cargo within the framework of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s initiative Grain frоm Ukraine to Sudan with the help of the World Food Organization, the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food has reported.
According to the report, the MV Future ID vessel with 14.6 thousand tons of flour made of Ukrainian wheat has already arrived in Sudan. It will be distributed in the form of food packages for 2 million people in Sudan affected by the war.
“Now in Sudan, almost 18 million people are facing acute food shortages. Of these, about five million are estimated by the UN to be in an emergency level of hunger (IPC4). The harvest of the main cereal crops (sorghum, millet and wheat) is 41% below the 5-year average. Therefore, food aid under the Grain frоm Ukraine initiative is extremely important to save lives and prevent an even worse situation,” the Ministry of Agrarian Policy emphasized.
As reported, the first batch of humanitarian cargo was delivered to the port of Khartoum (Sudan) on February 22, 2024. The vessel MV Ocean Dream delivered 7665 tons of flour made of Ukrainian wheat.
The donors of the shipment of two consignments were Germany, which provided $15 million, as well as Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, Slovenia and Spain, which allocated $23.8 million for the shipment of the second consignment of flour.
Grain from Ukraine, HUMANITARIAN CARGO, UKRAINE, VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY, Судан
The volume of revenues of telecom operators from international roaming services in Ukraine in 2023 increased 1.3 times compared to 2022 – up to UAH 3.96 billion and 3.3 times more than in 2021, follows from the report of the National Commission carrying out state regulation in the spheres of electronic communications, radio frequency spectrum and provision of postal services (NKEC) on Thursday.
“The above is due to the forced migration of the Ukrainian population to other countries of the world, primarily to the EU member states, due to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation,” the report said.
Revenues from mobile services in 2023 increased by 9% to UAH 61.7 billion. Of this amount, UAH 41 billion (66.4% of the total_ came from data transmission. Including Internet access – UAH 7.4 billion (12%) were voice telephony services, UAH 1.1 billion (1.8%) were number portability services.
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak held a meeting with the US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink.
“Held a meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States in Ukraine Bridget Brink. Told about massive Russian shelling of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and the difficult situation in several regions of our state,” Yermak wrote in his Telegram channel on Saturday.
“Thanked for Ukraine’s support in these super difficult times,” Yermak added.
Andriy Yermak, Brigitte Brink, Office of the President, U.S. AMBASSADOR, UKRAINE
The number of passengers who used buses to travel abroad in 2023 decreased to 7.5 million passengers, compared to 8.5 million in 2022.
Such data Deputy Minister of Development of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Sergiy Derkach made public, opening the forum of the reform of international bus transportation.
According to him, in 2020 only 1.1 million passengers traveled abroad by buses.
“This is a large passenger traffic today for Ukraine. For example, Ukrzaliznytsia carried 2 million passengers last year,” Derkach said.
He emphasized that bus service today, given the lack of air service, has become one of the main for trips from Ukraine abroad.
The average duration of travel by bus in international traffic is 31 hours of which about 7 hours passengers spend waiting at the border.
“This is exactly what the state should change and what you and I should change. That is why today we will present our reform: electronic tools that will primarily help the passenger and carriers,” Derkach said.
According to him, the register of international transportation will soon be available for passengers, in which each passenger will be able to find his route, check the carrier and going to his site to buy a ticket. A carrier’s office is being created for carriers, where they will be able to quickly open new routes without paperwork and bureaucratic procedures.
Deputy Minister expressed hope that the reform of intercity bus transportation will help to increase budget revenues. According to his data, about 25% of carriers operate in the market without paying taxes, and the budget receives up to UAH 500 million annually.
European Council President Charles Michel assures that concrete steps to use the proceeds from frozen Russian assets will be taken very quickly so that the first 1 billion euros will be allocated to Ukraine, including for military aid, as early as July 1 this year.
“We have taken a very important decision by making it possible to postpone unexpected revenues – and this is a proposal from the European Commission – and we are determined to act very quickly so that we can take some of this money to support Ukraine, including the possibility of (supporting) military equipment. This demonstrates that the 27 leaders who were around the table understand the gravity of the situation,” he said Thursday in Brussels at a news conference after the European Council meeting.
Michel is convinced that the necessary steps to make the mechanism work will be taken “very quickly”. “These proposals were presented by the Commission yesterday. There is considerable support in the European Council for this approach,” the European Council president said.
According to Michel, the Belgian presidency confirmed that it too “intends to work with all colleagues very quickly”. “This is really very important because there will be more opportunity to support Ukraine with military equipment, with what is urgently needed,” he emphasized.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in turn, said she was pleased that the leaders had approved the use of emergency revenues from immobilized Russian assets. “This will provide funding to supply Ukraine with military equipment. We can expect to be able to raise €3 billion in 2024 and a similar amount in future years… There is strong support to use the windfall revenues from immobilized assets for military support to Ukraine. I told the leaders that if we act quickly to finalize our proposals, we can disburse 1 billion as early as July 1. The assets are in our hands and if we are quick, there will be concrete actions in the summer,” she explained.
CHARLES MICHEL, EUROPEAN COUNCIL, MILITARY AID, RUSSIAN ASSETS, UKRAINE
France has increased defense spending, some of which will be invested in production in Ukraine, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to Ukraine Gael Vesierre has said.
During the 16th annual Kyiv Security Forum founded by Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s Open Ukraine Foundation, the Ambassador noted that France’s defense spending exceeded 2% of GDP.
Regarding investments in defense, the diplomat stressed that investments are also needed to produce in Ukraine what the Ukrainian Armed Forces need.
“We say: if we can start such production in Ukraine, we should do it,” Vesier said.
He also called for supporting Ukraine to achieve victory.
“Let’s imagine for a second if Russia wins. It means that Russia can destroy a neighbor and the international community can do nothing in response. It means that many countries will say: we now need to join the nuclear club because our security is at risk. It will be a more risky and unstable situation than today,” the French diplomat emphasized.
The 16th annual Kiev Security Forum, organized to mobilize transatlantic support for Ukraine, is taking place March 21-22.
