CNN: Trump is against the US providing assistance to Ukraine and other countries
< p>Former US President Donald Trump said that the Senate should not vote for an aid package that provides support, in particular, to Ukraine and Israel.
“We should never again give money without hope of return or without certain conditions. The United States no longer has to be stupid,” Trump wrote on the social network Truth Social.
In addition, at a rally in South Carolina on Saturday, February 10, he repeated his points.
“They want to give almost $100 billion to several countries. I said: Why are we doing this? If you do this, then give them not $100 billion, but a loan,” The Hill quotes Trump as saying.
Polish radio: Poland is trying to block part of the imports from Ukraine through Brussels
Poland will try, through the European Commission, to introduce a ban on entire groups of food products from Ukraine, such as sugar or poultry. This was stated by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Czeslaw Sekierski.
“Poland and other border countries suffered most from the EU decision to liberalize trade, opening the EU to the influx of goods from Ukraine, without duties, without quotas,” – he said.
Sekierski argues that Polish farmers have legitimate concerns, expectations and demands to limit the excessive flow of goods from Ukraine, as well as other non-European markets, into the EU, especially into Poland.
Bloomberg: Switzerland asked China to take part in the peace conference on Ukraine
Switzerland asked China to take part in the peace conference on Ukraine, which is to be held this year. This was stated by Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis.
Cassis said Wang “took note of the invitation.” He expects a response in a few days.
“China has a very strong relationship with Russia, but it is still ready to contribute to ending this war,” Cassis said.
Chinese authorities skipped a meeting of national security advisers in Malta in 2023, when officials from more than 55 countries discussed the Ukrainian peace formula. In August, Beijing sent a delegation to a meeting in Saudi Arabia.
Beijing has provided diplomatic and economic support to Russia since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Financial Times: EU takes a cautious approach to the issue of Russian frozen assets
The European Union has taken a cautious approach to the use of Russia's frozen assets. This was stated by European Commissioner for the Economy Paolo Gentiloni.
Ukraine, the United States and other allies insist on using frozen Russian state assets worth about $300 billion to help Kyiv defend itself against Moscow's invasion. Most of the assets are frozen in Europe, and members of the EU's Group of Seven (G7) France, Italy and Germany fear the financial and legal consequences of such an unprecedented move.
One of the ideas put forward by Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo, which received support in the United States, proposes creating a special purpose company that would issue debt on behalf of the Russian Federation, using these assets as collateral in the event that the Kremlin refuses to pay for the damage caused in Ukraine.
The G7 is assessing the legal feasibility of this option. However, it has not received approval from the EU.
“We are taking a very gradual approach. We are going step by step… now we have made one single decision,” the European Commissioner said, saying that the EU intends to separate the profits received from Russian assets in order to subsequently confiscate them in favor of Ukraine.
“Within the G7 we discuss different scenarios and opinions. We need common solutions and solidarity at the G7 level, but at the same time this is a particularly European issue because the assets are mostly located here,” he emphasized.