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support Ukrainian veterans. "For the first time, we are sending Ukraine assets seized from under-sanctioned Russian oligarchs, which will be used to support Ukrainian veterans," he said. As specified in a statement released by the State Department, the amount in question is $5.4mn. In February 2023, a US court authorised the transfer to Kyiv of $5.4mn confiscated from Konstantin Malofeev, a billionaire founder of the Tsargrad TV channel. Washington believed the businessman was trying to circumvent sanctions imposed on him in 2014.
According to sources, China has raised objections to the US taking over the presidency of the G20 countries in 2026, as already announced by President Joe Biden's administration. According to the sources, Beijing has asked for its displeasure to be recorded, but the insiders were not aware of the reasons for it. China's objections were supported by Russia, according to one of the sources.
Nato member states have started extensive exercises along the northern coast of the Baltic Sea, rehearsing maneuvers the defensive alliance would carry out in the event of a Russian attack, Estonian news website ERR reported on September 9.
US threatens new sanctions against North Korea in case of arms transfer. The United States will closely monitor the results of the planned meeting between the leaders of the Russian Federation and North Korea and "will not hesitate" to impose new sanctions "if both countries commit another violation of arms transfer restrictions," Spokesperson for the US State Department Matthew Miller stated at a press conference on September 11.
Brazil's judiciary to decide on Putin's arrest at G20 summit. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said his country's judiciary would decide whether to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin in the event he attends the Group of 20 (G20) 2024 summit in Brazil, Reuters reported on September 11.
The European Commission made new clarifications in the sanctions regime against Russian citizens — and it became apparent that Russians are now barred from bringing any personal items into the European Union, from cars and laptops to simply a tube of toothpaste. These “new” restrictions on Russians are described in the September 8 update to the FAQs relating to sanctions against Russia.The update explains that any Russian-registered vehicle, whether intended for personal or commercial use, will be considered an illegal import and banned from entry into the EU. The ban on Russian-registered cars is nothing new, having been implemented in 2022 in response to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The European Commission has merely provided up-to-date official confirmation. The implementation of the rules depends on the specific country. But earlier this summer, German customs already made reference to the ban and warned that it could confiscate the private cars in which Russians entered the country.
34 RUSSIA Country Report October 2023 www.intellinews.com