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begun accumulating dozens of vessels suitable for transporting liquefied natural gas. This indicates that Moscow is preparing to tighten restrictions on LNG. Starting in the second quarter of 2023, more than 50 LNG vessels changed owners to companies from the UAE.
Supplies of semiconductors and other dual-use goods shipped through China and Hong Kong to Russia have decreased by 20% in 2024, despite both regions remaining key transshipment hubs, according to data from the US Commerce Department.
Slovakia threatens to suspend the supply of petroleum products to Ukraine over sanctions against Russian Lukoil. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico spoke over the telephone with his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal, during which he criticized the inclusion of the Russian company Lukoil, whose oil is also used by the Slovnaft refinery, on the sanctions list. Fico considers these sanctions "senseless" because, in his opinion, they do not harm Moscow, but mainly certain EU member states. "Slovakia does not intend to be a hostage of Ukrainian-Russian relations, and the decision of the Ukrainian president means that the Slovak oil refinery Slovnaft, which is part of the Hungarian MOL group, will receive 40% less oil products than it needs for processing," Fico said. According to him, this will not only impact the Slovak market but may also lead to the cessation of supplies of oil products produced at Slovnaft being delivered to Ukraine, which, as Fico noted, is almost 10% of all Ukrainian consumption. In June, Ukraine significantly expanded sanctions against Lukoil, including a ban on transit of its products through Ukraine.
US is preparing new sanctions against China for supporting Russia's war efforts. The United States plans to impose new sanctions against Chinese entities that fuel Russia's war in Ukraine. Chinese banks may also be targeted.
US imposes sanctions against Russian hacktivist group Cyber Army of Russia Reborn. The restrictions were imposed against Yuliya Pankratova and Denis Degtyarenko, the group's leader and a primary hacker, respectively.
Trump plans to ease sanctions against Russia, and Orban calls on the EU to restore relations with Russia and to prepare for the suspension of US aid to Ukraine. US presidential candidate Donald Trump considers easing sanctions against Russia as one of the components of his plan to end the war in Ukraine. "With sanctions, we push everyone away from us. That's why I don't like sanctions," Trump said. He recalled that he had good relations with Vladimir Putin during his presidency. "We were never threatened by war. He would never have entered Ukraine," Trump said. Instead, now, in his opinion, the world has become more dangerous because during the war, "the Russian Federation and China became closer." At the same time, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán addressed a letter to the head of the European Council, Charles Michel, where, among other things, he proposed negotiations with China on a "peace conference" regarding Ukraine and restoring diplomatic relations with Russia. He also hinted that if Trump wins the presidential elections and the war continues, most financial aid to Ukraine would have to be provided by EU countries since the US may stop contributing.
The Belgian depository Euroclear has notified the Russian National Settlement Depository (NSD) that permission from the US Treasury's
63 RUSSIA Country Report August 2024 www.intellinews.com