Ukraine is introducing a visa regime for Russian citizens, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky told the Telegram channel on Friday.
“As part of countering unprecedented threats to national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state, I proposed to the Cabinet of Ministers to work out the issue of revising the regime of entry of Russian citizens into the territory of Ukraine,” he wrote.
“And today the Cabinet of Ministers must adopt this important resolution ‘On the termination of the Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the Russian Federation on visa-free travel of citizens of Ukraine and the Russian Federation and the application of certain international treaties of Ukraine with the Russian Federation,’” the president also wrote.
According to him, “according to the planned decision of the Cabinet of Ministers, from July 1, 2022, Ukraine will introduce a visa regime for entry for citizens of the Russian Federation.”
The European Commission will recommend to the European Council that Ukraine and Moldova be granted EU candidate status with further “homework” to be done.
Interfax-Ukraine was informed about this on Thursday in Brussels by a source close to the negotiation process and acquainted with the draft document. “To recommend granting candidate status to Ukraine on the understanding that the next steps will be taken (grant candidate status under the understanding that follows steps are taking),” the agency’s interlocutor quoted the draft document as saying.
Next, he said, is a list of “homework” that Ukraine will have to complete before official negotiations begin. Among them – ensuring the rule of law, the fight against corruption, oligarchs, money laundering. According to the source, this work should be done by Ukraine in any case, since for full membership in the EU it must meet the criteria of Article 49 of the Treaty. “Such a wording will allow countries that are still hesitating to be “taken on board,” the source explained the position of the European Commission. In addition, he also believes that Kyiv will need a significant amount of time to meet the necessary criteria.
With regard to Moldova, the list of “homework” is even longer than for Ukraine. With regard to Georgia, the EC recommends that candidate status be granted only after doing “homework”.
These recommendations have yet to be approved by the EU leaders at the summit, which will be held June 23-24 in Brussels.
The official announcement of the conclusions is scheduled for this Friday, June 17th.
CANDIDATE, EU MEMBERSHIP, EUROPEAN COMMISSION, EUROPEAN COUNCIL, MOLDOVA, STATUS, UKRAINE
The negative balance of Ukraine’s foreign trade in goods in January-April 2022 decreased by almost 42 times compared to the same period in 2021 – to $29.6 million from $1,236.7 million, the State Statistics Service (Gosstat) reported on Tuesday.
According to its data, the export of goods from Ukraine for the reporting period compared with January-April 2021 decreased by 12.3% – to $16.712 billion, imports decreased by 17.5% – to $16.742 billion.
The State Statistics Service clarifies that in April this year, compared to March 2022, the seasonally adjusted volume of exports increased by 7.2%, to $2.727 billion, and imports, by 65.1%, to $2.78 billion.
The seasonally adjusted foreign trade balance in April 2022 was negative and amounted to $0.053 billion, which is better than in April 2021, when the seasonally adjusted foreign trade balance was also negative at $0.359 billion.
The State Statistics Service recalls that in March 2022 it was positive and amounted to $0.86 billion.
The export-to-import coverage ratio in January-April 2022 amounted to 1.00 (in January-April 2021 – 0.94).
The State Statistics Service specified that foreign trade operations were carried out with partners from 215 countries of the world.
The deficit of Ukraine’s foreign trade in goods in January-April 2022 fell by almost 97.6% compared to the same period in 2021, to $29.6 million from $1.237 billion, the State Statistics Service reported on Tuesday.
According to its data, the export of goods from Ukraine for the reporting period compared with January-April 2021 declined by 12.3%, to $16.712 billion, imports fell by 17.5%, to $16.742 billion.
The State Statistics Service said that in April this year, compared to March 2022, the seasonally adjusted volume of exports increased by 7.2%, to $2.727 billion, and imports, by 65.1%, to $2.78 billion.
The seasonally adjusted foreign trade balance in April 2022 was negative and amounted to $0.053 billion, which is better than in April 2021, when the seasonally adjusted foreign trade balance was also negative at $0.359 billion.
The State Statistics Service recalls that in March 2022 it was positive and amounted to $0.86 billion.
The export-to-import coverage ratio in January-April 2022 amounted to 1.00 (in January-April 2021 – 0.94).
The State Statistics Service said that foreign trade operations were carried out with partners from 215 countries.
The United States authorities intend to send about $1.5 billion a month to Ukraine to support the work of the government, Dereck Hogan, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, said.
He said at a seminar at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington they had already allocated $1 billion for these purposes through various mechanisms and intended to send about $1.5 billion more monthly during 4-5 months.
The official noted that direct support for Ukrainian authorities is one of the priorities of the administration of President Joe Biden.
He said that the US should take into account the medium and long term, and now the US efforts should be focused on ensuring the work of the government of Ukraine.
The United States and NATO allies are continuing massive arms and ammunition deliveries to Ukraine. Mykhailo Podoliak, the adviser to the head of the Ukrainian President Office’s, said earlier that Kyiv would like to receive 300 multiple launch rocket systems from the West.
At the same time, US officials, both former and incumbent, warn of the need to establish control over the use of aid provided by the United States to Kyiv.
The UK and Polish governments were the main suppliers of medical assistance to Ukraine in the past week, the press service of the Health Ministry of Ukraine has said.
The ministry said that the UK government and the Strategic Reserves Agency of Poland were the major suppliers.
The Health Ministry also noted assistance of the Embassy of Bulgaria in Ukraine, the Direct Relief international humanitarian aid organization, the Kyiv School of Economics Charitable Foundation, the Center of Volunteering and Protection charitable organization, One Ukraine, and Americares global non-profit organization.
The ministry reported that it received six ambulance vehicles, 1,000 packs of hemostatic gauze, 125 patient monitors, 7.5 tonnes of antibacterial agents, 153.5 tonnes of various medicines, 26.5 tonnes of drugs for Covid-19, 60 tonnes of personal protective equipment, and 5 tonnes of syringes from volunteers and partner countries over last week.
