Ukraine’s gross domestic product (GDP) collapsed by 29.1% in 2022 compared to the previous year due to the Russian invasion which is ravaging the country, the Committee of Ukrainian state for statistics. Ukraine, which is resisting thanks to military and financial aid from the West, has seen whole sections of its economy swallowed up by the war. The construction sector was thus the hardest hit, with a fall of 67.6% last year.
However, even if hostilities are still continuing and up to 20% of Ukrainian territory is occupied, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), one of Kiev’s key backers, expects a partial and gradual economic recovery this year. . The IMF estimates that, depending on the scenarios, the Ukrainian economy could evolve between a recession of 3% and growth of 1% in 2023. Ukraine was one of the poorest countries in Europe when Russia attacked. It had seen its GDP grow by 3.4% in 2021.
Video of beheading in Ukraine: France condemns a “barbaric act”
The fear after the broadcast of a beheading video does not fall. This excruciating video showing the beheading of a suspected Ukrainian prisoner of war has been circulating on social media since Tuesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday denounced a new abuse by Russian “monsters”.
The UN mission in kyiv said it was “horrified” by the footage demanding an investigation. European Council President Charles Michel said he was “mortified by the atrocious video” in a message on Twitter. For its part, the Kremlin called for verification of the “authenticity” of the video, which usually rejects the accusations of crimes brought against its soldiers.
France, which “learned with horror” of a video appearing to show a Russian soldier beheading a Ukrainian prisoner, condemned on Wednesday “a barbaric act” and “an unbearable attack on human dignity”. “Those responsible for all crimes committed in Ukraine will be held to account,” the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman added during her electronic press briefing.
“France provides and will continue to provide unfailing support to the Ukrainian courts and to international justice in their essential action to fight against impunity. There will be no peace without justice”, she continued. .
Moscow admits not allowing consular visit for imprisoned US journalist
Russian diplomacy admitted on Wednesday that it had still not authorized a representative of the American consulate to go to prison to see journalist Evan Gershkovich, arrested while reporting in Russia and whom Moscow accuses of being a spy. “We are examining the question”, replied laconically the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Riabkov, to the Russian agencies who asked him if the journalist would be able to receive a visit from a representative of his embassy, nearly two weeks after his arrest. .
He also swept aside Washington’s decision to qualify the imprisonment of Evan Gershkovich as “arbitrary detention”, a qualification which allows the case to be entrusted to the American special envoy for hostages. “We don’t accept any attempt at pressure, it doesn’t matter to us the status he was given in Washington,” said Sergei Ryabkov.
The Russian security services (FSB) announced on March 30 the arrest of the Moscow correspondent of the Wall Street Journal and former AFP journalist, while reporting in Yekaterinburg. The whole file is classified secret. Russia accuses him of espionage, locking him up in Moscow’s infamous Lefortovo prison, a first since Soviet times.
The World Bank provides 200 million dollars to repair the electricity network
The World Bank (WB) announced Wednesday that it would grant 200 million dollars to Ukraine to enable the country at war to restore its electricity network, particularly targeted by Russian strikes during the winter.
This new influx of money could be accompanied by another donation, of 300 million dollars, from “partners and other contributors, as the project is expanded”, added the bank in its press release. The sum should enable Ukraine to carry out emergency work to restore the most critical infrastructures and install heating equipment when necessary.
“Ukrainian energy infrastructure suffered $11 billion in damage in 2022 and is one of the areas where Ukraine needs the most urgent repairs,” said World Bank Operations Director General Anna Bjerde, quoted in the press release.
London and Washington sanction relatives of Russian oligarchs
The United Kingdom and the United States on Wednesday announced sanctions against relatives of Russian oligarchs, including members of the entourage of Roman Abramovich and Alisher Usmanov, accused of having helped them to conceal their assets. Among the targets of these new British sanctions are Demetris Ioannides and Christodoulos Vassiliades, two Cypriot nationals.
According to London, the first is at the origin of offshore structures used by Roman Abramovich to conceal 760 million pounds sterling (863 million euros) before being sanctioned in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine at the end of February 2022. The United States added a third Cypriot national, Demetrios Serghides, suspected of having managed assets and property on behalf of Alicher Ousmanov and his family.
The British and American sanctions target several structures of Alisher Ousmanov’s network, as well as members of the family circle of other oligarchs.
Ukraine asks Spain for more military aid, including planes
Ukraine wants Spain to deliver air defense systems, but also F-16 aircraft, as well as artillery pieces and maritime aid, the Ukrainian Defense Minister said on Wednesday. , Oleksiy Reznikov.
“For us, anti-aircraft systems are the number one priority” in the fight against Russian forces that invaded Ukraine more than a year ago, the minister said in Madrid during a joint press conference with his Spanish counterpart Margarita Robles.
Oleksiï Reznikov, who spoke in Ukrainian and whose remarks were translated into Spanish, added that in his view combat aircraft were “part of anti-aircraft defence”. “For us, it is paramount to destroy Russian dominance in the air,” he explained.
Margarita Robles did not comment on these remarks by her Ukrainian counterpart, contenting herself with repeating that Madrid “(will continue) to send Ukraine all types of material” and to provide Kiev with “full and absolute support necessary time”. She stressed that this would always be done “with discretion”.
