Johnson's visit to Kyiv and the future economic downturn: Highlights on war in Ukraine on April 9-11

Author

Yulia Ustymovych

The 47th day of the war against the Russian occupiers continues in Ukraine. gathered news for the weekend and Monday in the field of business, politics and economics, which will help to learn more about the situation in a Ukraine, that has been fighting for independence for more than a month.

The main events of these days were:

Photo: president.gov.ua

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson visited Kyiv. During a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky, politicians discussed a new package of financial and military assistance, the President's Office said. During the meeting, Johnson said that Ukraine needs comprehensive support, especially economic and military support. In particular, the United Kingdom wants to assist Ukraine in demining areas, together with partners will supply equipment, the latest technology and provide intelligence data. Also on April 9, the Federal Chancellor of Austria Karl Nehammer visited Kyiv.

Photo: Justinite/Pixabay

The occupiers, who were in the Exclusion Zone, looted two research laboratories, from which, in addition to equipment, sources of radioactive radiation and fuel samples were stolen, the State Agency for Exclusion Zone Management said. A total of 133 sources of radioactive radiation with a total activity of about 7 million becquerels, equal to 700 kg of radioactive waste with various types of radiation, were stolen and damaged. The state agency believes that the invaders could have thrown them out of the Exclusion Zone, or taken them with them as souvenirs.

To date, the direct losses of Ukraine's economy due to the war have grown to $ 80.4 billion — according to the analytical center of the Kyiv School of Economics. The total losses of the Ukrainian economy range from $ 564 billion to $ 600 billion.

Politics

Photo: twitter/eudelegationua

The diplomatic mission of the European Council in Ukraine is returning to Kyiv, the press service of the European External Action Service said. Prior to that, the representative office operated in the Polish city of Rzeszow. EU Head of Mission Matti Maasikas accompanied EU High Representative Josep Borrell and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on their visit to Kyiv on Friday. They stayed in the capital to reopen the office and assess the conditions for the gradual return of all staff to Kyiv.
During the exchange of prisoners on April 9, 26 Ukrainians were released, including 12 servicemen, said Iryna Vereshchuk, Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine. Among the 14 civilians, nine women were held in captivity.
European Foreign Minister Josep Borrell called on the European Union to urgently provide Ukraine with the weapons it requested, as Russia has stepped up its military activities in the Donbas. This was reported by Bloomberg, citing sources. According to the agency, Borrel insists that the decision should be made in the coming days, not weeks.

Economy

Photo: Eugene Kozlovsky/Pixabay

The Ukrainian government has allocated the first UAH 1 billion to restore the territories liberated from Russian troops, said Prime Minister Denis Shmygal. The money will be used to repair utilities to restore heat, gas, water and electricity. They can also be used to dismantle damage, repair roofs, replace windows and doors, eliminate potholes on roads, and other urgent needs.
The World Bank forecasts a drop in Ukraine's GDP in 2022 by 45.1%. Prior to the war with Russia, the bank expected the Ukrainian economy to grow by 3.2%. This is stated in a report on the economic prospects of Europe and Central Asia in the light of Russia's war and its aftermath.
The government has legally enshrined the decision to terminate trade relations with Russia, said Economy Minister Yulia Svyridenko. According to her, Russia receives at least $ 6 billion a year from trade with Ukraine. The government also denounced agreements with the government of Belarus on mutual recognition and equivalence of documents on education and academic titles and on cooperation in the field of certification of scientific and scientific-pedagogical staff of the highest qualification.

Business

Photo: mohamed Hassan/Pixabay

The Ministry of Economy, with the support of Ministry of Digital Transformation and DiyaBusiness, launched the RelocateProzorro platform. The platform will help move businesses from hotspots and keep them safer. You can already apply for relocation.
The Ministry of Economy has created a chatbot with answers to questions about labor relations during the war. The service systematically answers common questions about the peculiarities of granting vacations, wages, documentation, etc. during hostilities. The service is available in Telegram (@TrudEconomBot).

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