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☆ Front-line NATO allies worry they could be next after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and are getting ready for a fight
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Sinéad Baker | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

These countries along the military alliance's front line are now scrambling to make sure they're protected should the Russian military ever come knocking. "There is an imminent need of a stronger NATO presence in our region," Estonia's Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said. For nearly 14 months, the Russian military has been bogged down by its grinding war in Ukraine. More boots on the groundSome leaders in the Baltic countries have said that they ultimately want to host more NATO troops, including permanent brigades, in the years to come. So as the threat landscape continues to shift, the Baltic defense has adapted along with it, Townsend said.

☆ Western Weapons Supplies Fall Short of Ukraine’s Needs, Documents Show
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Lara Jakes | John Ismay | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Western allies this week delivered some of the most powerful weapons that Ukraine says it will need for a looming counteroffensive against Russia: a Patriot air-defense system from Germany and the Netherlands. More 155-millimeter artillery from the United States. And on Friday, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III announced that Ukrainians would soon begin training, for the first time, on American M1 Abrams tanks — an important step to getting the sophisticated weapon to the battlefield. But the reinforcements still fall short of what even American military planners have assessed that Ukraine needs to make the most of an offensive expected to begin in coming weeks to retake more territory captured by the Russians. Classified military assessments dating to February and March, from leaked documents, show dire gaps in what allies had pledged to Ukraine and what, at least by then, had been delivered.

☆ Germany: decisions on Patriots in Slovakia, Poland to be discussed with allies
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, April 21 (Reuters) - Germany's Defence Ministry said any decisions on its deployment of Patriot air-defence systems to Poland and Slovakia will be discussed with allies in Europe, after a report said Berlin planned to end the deployment by the end of the year. The planned end to the deployment was reported by the Funke media report, citing a defence ministry spokesperson. "The statements on deployment plans of our Patriot squadrons in Poland and Slovakia referred to original plans," the ministry later said in a statement. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius will discuss and coordinate the matter with partners at Friday's meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Ramstein, it added. Germany has also delivered a Patriot system to Ukraine to support the country in the war against Russia.

☆ Germany to end Patriot air defence system deployments in Poland, Slovakia this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

"The nations have been informed about the plans," a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence was quoted as saying by Funke media group. The deployment in Poland should end in June while the one in Slovakia will expire by the end of year, the spokesperson added. The German government has also delivered a Patriot system from army stocks will also be delivered to Ukraine this year. Germany had 36 Patriot units when it was NATO's frontline state during the Cold War. Today, the German forces are down to 11 Patriot units.

☆ Ukraine’s corn and wheat exports are set to plummet. Here’s what that means for the world's food supply
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Lucy Handley | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Both Ukraine and Russia were among the world's top producers of commodities such as wheat and barley before the war broke out in February 2022. But the conflict saw the price of U.S. wheat and corn futures hit decade highs (with one benchmark wheat contract hitting an all-time high) and sparked volatility in global wheat prices throughout the year. 2023/24 Ukraine grains exports (corn + wheat) might be 27-30mmt, down 15-18mmt from 2021/22," he added. Global food tradeThe war in Ukraine has contributed to rising food prices, with inflation above 5% in more than 80% of low-income countries, according to World Bank figures. Climate change causing extreme weather is already damaging the food system, according to Alexander, a senior lecturer at Edinburgh University's Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems.

☆ Hungary to allow transit of Ukrainian grain, protect farmers, minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BUDAPEST, April 20 (Reuters) - Hungary will continue to allow transit of Ukrainian grain, ensuring the departure of such shipments "in a controlled manner," its agriculture minister, Istvan Nagy, told state news agency MTI after talks in Brussels. This followed Poland and Hungary last weekend banning some imports from Ukraine. "It was worthwhile for Hungary to take firm action and protect the interests of Hungarian farmers," Nagy said, referring to the ban, adding the measures forced Brussels to take action. The countries became transit routes for Ukrainian grain that could not be exported through Ukraine's Black Sea ports because of Russia's invasion in February 2022. Bottlenecks then trapped millions of tons of grains in countries bordering Ukraine, forcing local farmers to compete with an influx of cheap Ukrainian imports which they said distorted prices and demand.

☆ Ukraine live war updates: 'U.S. can cheat at any moment,' Russian foreign minister says, claiming NATO's expansion proves this
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

He wrote on Facebook that "ship inspections are being resumed, despite the RF's (Russian Federation's) attempts to disrupt the agreement." Kyiv says Russian inspectors stopped letting through vessels supposed to ship grain from Ukraine. "Obviously, the Russians could not fail to take advantage of these nuances on the western (Ukrainian) border," Solsky told reporters. RIA quoted the Russian foreign ministry as on Wednesday as saying Ukraine and the United Nations were causing difficulties with the ship inspections. Ukraine and Poland reached an agreement on Tuesday to unblock transit of Ukrainian grain from Friday, but the import bans remain in place in Poland, Slovakia and Hungary.

☆ Ukraine's cheap grain exports are causing an awkward rift with its European neighbors and staunch allies
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

The move to ban Ukraine's agricultural imports has angered the European Union given that the bloc has sought to help Kyiv maintain its exports as an economic lifeline for the war-torn country. Slovakia's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development told CNBC that despite its temporary ban on Ukrainian imports, the country continued to be open for "solidarity transit," meaning that Ukrainian grain could still pass through its territory to other countries. The ministry added that "we would appreciate the whole-European solution [to] the Ukrainian grain because the topic is relating to the protection of the whole internal European market." It also said it recognized the impact of the "oversupply" of Ukrainian imports on EU farmers, particularly those in bordering nations. Ships, including those carrying grain from Ukraine and awaiting inspections, are seen anchored off the Istanbul coastline on November 02, 2022 in Istanbul, Turkey.

April 19 (Reuters) - Russia on Wednesday accused Ukraine of sabotaging the Black Sea grain deal by demanding bribes from ship owners to register new vessels and carry out inspections under the cover of a deal the United Nations hopes could ease a global food crisis. There was no immediate comment on the allegation, levelled by Russia's Foreign Ministry, from Ukraine which has blamed Moscow for problems with the agreement. Russia and Ukraine both say the deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July, is in danger of collapsing just as Poland, Hungary and Slovakia have imposed import bans on Ukrainian grain. The problems were caused "solely as a result of the actions of Ukrainian representatives, as well as U.N. representatives, who, apparently, do not want or cannot resist them," she said. Russia and Ukraine are two of the world's key agricultural producers, and major players in the wheat, barley, maize, rapeseed, rapeseed oil, sunflower seed and sunflower oil markets.

☆ International Investment Bank to relocate headquarters from Budapest back to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 19 (Reuters) - Russia's International Investment Bank (IIB) will relocate its headquarters from Budapest back to Russia, according to a statement published on the bank's website on Wednesday. The decision was announced a week after the United States imposed sanctions on three top officials of IIB in Budapest: two Russians and a Hungarian. "IIB has exhausted the basis for further operations from its headquarters in Budapest and in the European Union," the IIB statement said. "The Bank has commenced a relocation of its operations and functions of its headquarters from Hungary to Russia." The Hungarian government took no measures against the bank, which moved its operations to Budapest in 2019.

☆ Ukraine says Black Sea grain deal ship inspections are resuming
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, April 19 (Reuters) - Inspections of ships are resuming under a U.N.-brokered agreement on the safe export of grain from Ukrainian Black Sea ports, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on Wednesday. He wrote on Facebook that "ship inspections are being resumed, despite the RF's (Russian Federation's) attempts to disrupt the agreement." Kubrakov is in Turkey to discuss the status of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which was agreed by Russia and Ukraine last July to help alleviate a global food crisis. Kyiv says Russian inspectors stopped letting through vessels supposed to ship grain from Ukraine. RIA quoted the Russian foreign ministry as on Wednesday as saying Ukraine and the United Nations were causing difficulties with the ship inspections.

SummarySummary Companies Three EU states have banned Ukrainian grain, food importsRomania looks set to follow suitUkraine also trying to salvage Black Sea grain dealWARSAW, April 18 (Reuters) - Poland agreed on Tuesday to lift a ban on the transit of Ukrainian grain and food products, but Ukraine said a wartime deal allowing it to safely ship grain from Black Sea ports was still under threat. Failure to resume exports into eastern European countries or secure an extension of the Black Sea grain deal would trap large amounts of grain in Ukraine, hitting its exports and causing further economic problems for Kyiv as it battles Russian troops. Large quantities of Ukrainian grain have been trapped by bottlenecks in eastern and central Europe as low global prices and demand mean grain cannot easily be sold on. BLACK SEA GRAIN DEAL IN DOUBTUkraine, which relies on grain and food sales for a significant slice of its gross domestic product, also has concerns about the Black Sea Grain Initiative brokered between Moscow and Kyiv by Turkey and the United Nations last July. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will discuss the Ukraine Black Sea grain export deal with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York next week, Russia's U.N. envoy said on Tuesday.

As a result, farmers in Poland, Hungary and other nations have seen their incomes plummet. measures,” his country would follow Poland in restricting Ukrainian grain imports until the end of June, according to Hungarian news reports. The announcement came after Warsaw reached a deal with Kyiv on Friday to strictly limit and, for a time, halt Ukrainian grain deliveries to Poland. Image Ukrainian grain being loaded onto a cargo ship near Odesa, Ukraine, in August. Image A Ukrainian soldier loading shells inside an American-made M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzer to be fired toward Russian positions in Bakhmut, Ukraine, on Friday.

☆ Slovakia hands over all 13 promised MiG fighter jets to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

April 17 (Reuters) - Slovakia has handed over all 13 MiG-29 fighter jets it had pledged to Ukraine, the Slovak Defence Ministry said on Monday. Slovakia joined Poland in promising the planes in March to aid Ukraine as it battles Russia's invasion, and had delivered the first four planes last month. Reporting by Jason Hovet in Prague; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

KYIV, April 17 (Reuters) - Kyiv will aim to secure the re-opening of food and grain transit via Poland as "a first step" at talks in Warsaw on Monday, Ukraine's agriculture minister said, after Poland and Hungary announced bans on some imports from Ukraine. Poland's ban on grains, in effect since Saturday evening, also applied to transit through the country. Officials have said it is meant to keep grain transport from entering the Polish market. Deliveries to Hungary accounted for around 6% of Ukraine's farm exports, he said, adding that Ukrainian food transit via Hungary and Slovakia was unaffected. Talks between Ukraine and Poland were due to start in Warsaw around 12:00 p.m. (1000 GMT), Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus said on TVP Info.

☆ U.S. finishes Billie Jean King Cup qualifying unbeaten
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Each best-of-five series consists of two singles matches on the first day, then the reverse singles matches followed by a doubles match on the second day. The doubles match pitting Juvan and Zidansek against Irina Bara and Monica Niculescu was suspended at 3-3 in the first set. Jule Niemeier posted a three-set win over Beatriz Haddad Maia, and then Anna-Lena Friedsam lost only one game in defeating Laura Pigossi. Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina handed Poland's Magda Linette her second loss in two days to clinch the 3-1 series win in Astana, Kazakhstan. After Fernandez's three-set win over Ysaline Bonaventure, Belgium's Greet Minnen again knotted the match with a three-set win over Katherine Sebov.

☆ Ukraine's fighter jet fleet is slowly growing, but its weapons to bring down Russian jets are dwindling, leaked US document shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The jets will bolster Ukraine's fighter fleet, which is still under fire from Russia's larger air force. But air-defense ammunition is a more urgent need, one underscored in recently leaked US documents. Berlin approved Warsaw's request to send jets to Ukraine on Thursday, the same day it was received. Both air forces have shifted tactics and now operate farther from the front line, playing to the advantage of the Russian aircraft, which have an edge at longer ranges. Without the threat posed by those interceptor missiles, Russian aircraft would have greater freedom to attack Ukrainian aircraft and bomb Ukrainian targets, including in support of Russian front-line troops, the leaked document says.

☆ Exclusive: ECB policymakers converging on 25-bps rate hike in May - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Balazs Koranyi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The ECB has raised rates by at least 50 basis points each at six successive meetings -- the fastest pace on record -- to fight stubbornly high inflation. The sources said that some are advocating no change in May - mostly the same Southern European policymakers who did not support last month's 50 basis point increase, while others - also a small group - argue for another 50 basis point hike. Klaas Knot of the Netherlands said it was unclear whether 50 basis points would be needed or if 25 was enough. Slovakia's Peter Kazimir said the ECB could perhaps slow down the pace of its increases while Austria's Robert Holzmann meanwhile backed another 50 basis point move. Markets currently price 25 basis point hikes each in May and June, while a third such increase is fully priced in by September.

☆ Ukraine is getting Soviet-era fighter jets from Poland after Germany approves transfer
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Poland will provide Ukraine with five Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets. The jets originally belonged to East Germany during the Soviet era and were sold to Warsaw. Poland obtained the MiG-29 jets from Germany in the early 2000s, according to media reports. Poland has said it was willing to provide Ukraine with its entire fleet of 28 MiG-29s. "So far, everyone has agreed that it's not the time to send fighter jets," Pistorius said just last month.

☆ Exclusive: ECB policymakers converging on 25-bps rate hike in May , sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Balazs Koranyi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

☆ Amid risk of stalling in EV race, Spain's rebooted aid scheme gets warm reception
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Joan Faus | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Madrid will launch a new, more flexible version of the PERTE scheme around July, worth 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion) after last year's initial funding round flopped, with only 27% of an earmarked 2.9 billion euros allocated. Stellantis already manufactures EVs in Spain and received 67 million euros from the first PERTE, but could request more funds to boost production. Griffiths said using the EU funds is "essential" for Spain's future as some investments would otherwise be non-viable. Unlike Germany, Europe's leading car producer, Spain lacks a domestic manufacturer to champion the EV cause. In last year's PERTE round, VW-SEAT received the highest payout, of 357 million euros, but had hoped for more.

☆ Ukraine resumes exporting electricity to Europe after Russia fails to destroy its power grid
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Exports stopped in October after Russia attacked Ukraine's power grids, a move some said amounted to war crimes. Russia ramped up infrastructure attacks in September, when waves of missiles and exploding drones destroyed about half of Ukraine's energy system. Ukraine needs funding to repair damaged generation and transmission lines, and revenue from electricity exports would be one way to do that. The first country to receive Ukraine's energy exports will be Moldova, he said. Engineers sped up the process to link Ukraine to the continental grid, allowing it to decouple its power system from Russia.

☆ Russian technicians appear to have sabotaged MiG-29 fighter jets headed for Ukraine, Slovakia says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Russian technicians appear to have sabotaged MiG-29 jets headed to Ukraine, Slovakia's Defense Minister said. Slovakia offered its Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine late last month. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyRussian technicians appear to have sabotaged MiG-29 fighter jets headed to Ukraine, Slovakia said. Weeks ago, Slovakia and Poland pledged to send Ukraine fleets of MiG-29 fighter jets. The Biden administration has repeatedly said the US isn't planning to provide fighter jets.

☆ Romanian farmers block borders in protest over Ukrainian grain imports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BUCHAREST, April 7 (Reuters) - Thousands of farmers protested across Romania on Friday over the impact of Ukrainian grain imports on prices, blocking traffic and border checkpoints with tractors and trucks and urging the European Commission to intervene. Anger is rising among farmers in Central and Eastern Europe over a flood of cheap Ukrainian grain imports, exempt from customs fees until June 2024, which have hurt prices and sales of local producers. Across the country, thousands of farmers used tractors, trucks and other machinery to block roads and borders. It decided to hand out compensation worth 56.3 million euros to Polish, Bulgarian and Romanian farmers, with more to come. On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he expected decisions to be announced in coming days and weeks to alleviate anger among Polish farmers.

☆ Ukraine says coveted F-16s 'four or five times' better than its Soviet jets
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Max Hunder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

KYIV, April 6 (Reuters) - A top Ukrainian air commander said Ukraine was in dire need of F-16 fighter jets, which he described on Thursday as "four or five times" more effective than the Soviet-era planes currently used by Ukraine. Serhiy Holubtsov, one of the most senior commanders in the Air Force, said that while donations of Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets by allies were an "important step," the planes did not fully meet Ukraine's battlefield requirements. NATO members Poland and Slovakia recently began to hand over MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, as Kyiv prepares for a much-vaunted counter-offensive to retake territory occupied by Russia. Washington has ruled out sending F-16 jets to Ukraine for now, and U.S. officials have estimated the most expeditious time needed for training and delivery at 18 months. Holubtsov said there was a possibility of having foreign pilots fly Ukrainian jets, but that they would only be useful when flying aircraft which they have already been trained on.

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