WAR IN UKRAINE: February 14, 2023

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Day 356

  • The EU is set to hit Moscow with new financial sanctions, trade curbs and a ban on Russian nationals serving on boards of critical European infrastructure companies such as power grids, EU diplomats and officials told POLITICO's Brussels Playbook. The European Commission briefed EU ambassadors in small groups over the weekend after the executive's president, Ursula von der Leyen, announced some elements of the 10th sanctions package at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last Thursday. Brussels is set to include new financial sanctions against four Russian banks including the country's largest private bank, Alfa-Bank, founded by Russian-Israeli billionaire Mikhail Fridman. The EU is also mulling a ban on Russian nationals serving on boards of critical infrastructure companies in the EU, such as electricity grids or gas providers. There will also be new listings of some 130 entities and people. These include Russian military leaders, officials installed by Russia in the occupied territories in Ukraine, and journalists working for Russian state media outlets such as Russia Today. Also covered will be companies and individuals in other countries with links to Russia’s war effort or the Wagner mercenary group, and Iran, which is accused of selling drones and components to Russia’s military.

  • NATO Secretary General on the need to speed up deliveries of military hardware to Ukraine: “We are in a race of logistics. Key capabilities like ammunition, fuel and spare parts must reach Ukraine before Russia can seize the initiative on the battlefield. Speed will save lives.”

  • The U.S. Embassy in Russia has urged Americans to leave the country immediately. “Do not enter Russia due to the unpredictable consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. US citizens residing or traveling in Russia must leave the country immediately," the embassy's website says.

  • Several NATO websites have suffered a computer attack on Sunday night, leaving the NATO Special Operations Headquarters website, among others, temporarily inoperative. "NATO cyber experts are actively dealing with an incident affecting some NATO websites. NATO deals with cyber incidents on a regular basis, and takes cyber security very seriously," an Atlantic Alliance official told DPA news agency.

  • Ukraine’s agriculture sector will face extraordinary challenges this year due to the war, journalists were told at a press briefing Monday at the Ukrainian Media Centre:

    - Currently around 2-million hectares of land in Ukraine are mined. Urgency to clear these lands as farmers will commence their spring work in March. But Ukraine can’t do the mine clearance work of this scale on its own - Ihor Vishtok, Ministry of Agricultural Policy

    - 2023 will be an extraordinarily complicated growing season for Ukraine farmers: uncertainty of buyers, delays forced by Russian inspections in Turkey as part of procedures put in place by the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Grain exports could fall as much as three times in 2023, creating a 50T deficit on world markets - Roman Slaston, Ukrainian Agrarian Business Club

Michael Bociurkiwbelarus, ukraine peace talks, emergencies, world economic forum, switzerland, famine, organization for security and cooperation in europe, balance of power, energy, lviv, journalism, znpp, michael bociurkiw, atlantic council, nato, soros, osce, united nations, unicef, lithunia, grain agreement, food and agriculture organization, ukraine counteroffensive, ukrainian russia war, ukraine war, russian warComment