The Council of the EU announced today that it has finally approved the allocation of 3.5 billion euros to EU countries that have sheltered Ukrainian refugees.
The decision was backed by a majority in the European Parliament last week. This amount is only part of the funding provided by the end of the year for this purpose. The funds are allocated from the economic recovery budget after the pandemic and will serve mainly the countries where most refugees arrive or pass through.
Prepayments this year will increase from 11 percent to 15 percent for all EU countries and from 11 percent to 45 percent for countries where the influx of refugees from Ukraine amounts to more than one percent of the local population at the end of the first month. after the start of Russian hostilities.
The countries that will receive 45 percent of pre-financing are Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia, which share a border with Ukraine, as well as Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, and Lithuania, which have taken in more than one percent of refugees. the local population as of March 23.
The EU will provide a total of about 17 billion euros from unused and redirected budget funds for refugees from Ukraine. The funds will be used to provide shelter, education, and health care.
The expert pointed out the countries were threatened with starvation due to the sanctions against Russia
Anti-Russian sanctions could lead to a significant reduction in grain exports. In this case, famine threatens many countries, especially in the Middle East and Africa, said Hadjimurad Belkharoev, an associate professor in the International Economic Security Program at the Institute for World Economy and Business of the Russian University for Friendship of Peoples, Prime News reports. He recalled that for the past five years, Russia has been the largest supplier of wheat to the world market. “Due to the sanctions imposed on the seaport of Novorossiysk, of which more than 50 percent of the grain is sent for export, grain exports in 2022 in previous volumes are in question,” said the economist. Given the fact that the world’s largest cargo carriers have joined the restrictions against Russia, their ships will not enter Russian seaports. Thus, even if there is enough grain in Russia, it will not be able to be sold, the interlocutor of the agency suggests.
Speaking about the geography of Russian bread exports, the expert mentioned the countries of North and Tropical Africa, as well as the Middle East, partly the EU and the CIS.
Russia occupies a fifth of the world grain market and this volume cannot be replaced, Belkharoev said.
