Systematic support for Ukraine with a plan to restore it for EUR100 billion, tougher sanctions against Russia and overall energy independence are the main postulates that Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki presented at a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on March 1.
According to the report on the website of the Polish government, Morawiecki stressed the need for a broader view of the Ukrainian issue.
“It is also very important to prepare an investment package for Ukraine, because the economy needs new investments and new jobs, and energy security is necessary as an important element of recovery after the war, which may end soon,” the official said.
According to him, this will also lead to the fact that this part of Europe will finally become independent of Russian gas, oil and coal.
“This is a necessary condition for peace to reign here in the long term,” the prime minister of Poland summed up.
During his visit to Brussels, Morawiecki demanded the most detailed package of sanctions and stressed that it was necessary.
On March 1, Ukraine held the first auction for the placement of government domestic loan war bonds, at which it attracted UAH 8.122 billion for the period of one year at 11% per annum. According to the Ministry of Finance, a total of 10 applications were submitted for the auction, all of them were satisfied.
In addition, another auction was held, at which UAH 20.7 million was raised at 10% per annum for 56 days.
The funds from the bonds will be used to meet the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the uninterrupted provision of the financial needs of the state under martial law, the ministry said.
As reported, the total volume of issuance of military bonds is up to UAH 400 billion. They can be purchased by the National Bank. However, according to available information, it was not among the buyers in the first auction.
The European Parliament voted “yes” to a resolution calling on the institutions of the European Union to work towards granting Ukraine the status of an EU candidate, thus recognizing Ukraine’s European perspective.
The corresponding document was voted on Tuesday as part of an extraordinary meeting of the European Parliament. Some 676 voted, of which 637 gave their affirmative votes, 13 were against, and 26 abstained.
The European Parliament calls on the EU institutions to work towards granting Ukraine candidate status for the EU in accordance with Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union and on merit basis, and in the meantime continue to work towards its integration into the EU single market in accordance with the Association Agreement, the resolution says.
The Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air has canceled all flights to Ukraine until March 27, the relevant information is contained in the airline’s booking system. According to it, the first flights available for sale to the company’s destinations from/to Ukraine are on Sunday, March 27.
Ticket holders before this date received an offer from the company to exchange them for flights with a later date, return the money or put them on an annual deposit for the purchase of tickets in the future with a 20% surcharge.
As reported, Wizz Air has suspended flights to Ukraine since February 24, when a full-scale Russian invasion of the country began. In addition, until March 4, the airline also refrains from flights to the capital of Moldova, Chisinau, instead performing them to the Romanian airport Iasi.
Wizz Air also said that it is working on the evacuation of its aircraft and employees with families from Ukraine.
According to Interfax-Ukraine, about three aircraft of the company remained at the Kyiv airport, which did not have time to take off from Kyiv on the morning of February 24.
Ukraine’s power system is operating normally, the availability of the necessary energy resources is fully ensured, the Ministry of Energy reported on its website on Thursday.
According to the ministry, security measures have been strengthened at all facilities, and the stability of the operation of enterprises and grids in the energy sector is being systematically monitored.
“Today, the IPS of Ukraine [Integrated Power System of Ukraine] and the Burshtyn TPP Island are synchronized into one power system, which operates autonomously from Russia and Belarus in a single control unit with the power system of Moldova,” the ministry recalled.
According to the report, the Ministry of Energy is currently setting itself the key task of providing Ukrainians, and primarily the Ukrainian military, with electrical and thermal energy.
International business has expressed solidarity with Ukraine in the face of a possible aggravation of the foreign political situation and continues to work in the country, the International Council of Business Associations and Chambers in Ukraine (ICBAC), which unites the trade communities of nine countries and the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said in a statement.
“We remain to work on the territory of Ukraine and, together with Ukrainian partners, we will work to strengthen the economic potential and resilience of Ukraine,” the press service of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said, citing the ICBAC statement in a release.
ICBAC brings together companies from France, Sweden, Austria, Germany, Turkey, Canada, China, the UK and the United States.
“Representatives of nine countries expressed their solidarity with Ukraine in the face of possible negative consequences for its economy, which may arise as a result of the aggravation of the foreign policy situation. They intend to expand trade turnover, which reaches $50 billion,” the Chamber of Commerce and Industry said.
