Poland bans grain imports from Ukraine – the nightly update without photos

Selenskyjs calls for NATO accession

Ahead of the next NATO summit in July in Lithuania, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj is calling for clearer accession prospects and security guarantees for his country. “Effective security guarantees for Ukraine (…) are needed even before we join the alliance,” Zelenskyy said in his evening video address on Saturday.

In the fall of 2022, Zelenskyy had applied for Ukraine’s accelerated entry into the Western military alliance. However, a condition for joining NATO is that the accession candidate must not be involved in international conflicts and cross-border disputes. Ukraine was invaded by Russia on February 24 last year and has been defending itself against the neighboring country’s war of aggression ever since.

The number of casualties in Sloviansk continued to rise

Meanwhile, the death toll after the Russian missile attack on the eastern city of Sloviansk has risen to 11 civilians, officials said.

In his speech, Zelenskyy also remembered the victims of last Friday’s rocket strike in a residential area in Sloviansk. A two-year-old child is among the 11 killed in the Donetsk region, according to Ukrainian authorities. More than 20 people were reportedly injured. The search for missing persons continued.

Poland bans grain imports from Ukraine

Poland has banned the import of grain and other food from Ukraine. The government has decided that, says the chairman of the Law and Justice party (PiS), Jaroslaw Kaczynski. Poland must protect the interests of its own citizens, even if it supports Ukraine in its defense against Russia.

Poland is one of Ukraine’s staunchest political and military supporters. But the farmers of the EU member state feel their livelihoods are threatened by the duty-free importation of large quantities of Ukrainian grain, made possible by the European Union.

Kiev imposes sanctions on Russian companies, athletes and daughters of ministers

Meanwhile, hundreds more Russian companies and individuals have been added to Ukraine’s sanctions list. According to the decrees of President Zelenskyy, Internet companies Yandex and VK are among the more than 240 affected companies. The daughter of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Xenia Shoigu, is also on the list.

For example, those affected are no longer allowed to do business in Ukraine and are no longer allowed to enter the country. If they exist, their assets in Ukraine are usually frozen as well. In many cases, however, the sanctions will mainly have symbolic value.

What will be important on Sunday

Orthodox Christians all over the world celebrate Easter this Sunday, including in Russia and Ukraine. The day is overshadowed, especially for people in eastern Ukraine, by fierce fighting, which is likely to continue on this important holiday. (con/sda/dpa)