A number of U.S. officials have expressed concern over the possible consequences of a russia ukraine news. One such official, Jake Epstein, wrote on 21 September 2021: “We are worried that the Russian military invasion will result in a lack of a battlefield commander.” This is according to an article in the Center for Strategic & International Studies. Other analysts have noted the importance of maintaining a dialogue with Russia.
Ukrainian grain exports allowed to leave Ukrainian ports
The first ship has left the port under a deal brokered by Turkey. The move will provide a test of the mechanisms agreed upon during negotiations in Istanbul. The European Union has repeatedly expressed its concern about the situation in Ukraine and has called for more dialogue and action.
As part of the thawing of the situation, the first grain shipment from Ukraine since the start of the war has finally sailed out of Ukrainian ports. The first cargo ship to leave the Ukrainian port has left for Lebanon.
The United Nations has said the Ukrainian government will escort the grain ships. It has also made clear that Russia will not attack warships or port infrastructure. Turkey and the UN will also inspect the cargo ships. According to the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine, the number of transshipment ships will increase to five a day. The increased number of vessels is also a positive sign for the country’s economy, which is undergoing hard times.
On Friday, three more ships carrying thousands of tons of corn departed Ukrainian ports. Two of those ships were bound for the United Kingdom, while three others left for Turkey. Another ship, the Razoni, left Ukrainian ports on Monday for Lebanon, in the first shipment through the Black Sea since the start of the war. A breakthrough deal brokered by Turkey and the United Nations paved the way for the export of Ukrainian grain.
Those two countries are key suppliers of wheat, corn, and sunflower oil. So, it makes sense for Ukraine to open its ports to grain shipments. However, Russia and Ukraine are also a major wheat supplier, so these grains are especially crucial to the world’s economy.
Russia and the West are hesitant to acknowledge the latest developments in Ukraine. The Western colleagues are not taking the situation seriously enough and are ignoring the warning signs. The President of Ukraine and other leaders are failing to take these developments into account. There are no plans to stop the export of Ukrainian grain, but it is important that the Western countries are not ignoring the recent developments in Ukraine. If Ukraine doesn’t take the next step to resolve its problems, it could face a serious trade war with Russia.
Netflix stops selling and providing its streaming video service in Russia
As a result of the conflict in the Ukraine, Netflix is stopping selling and providing its streaming video service in Russia. The company cited a number of reasons for the decision, including the slow adoption of broadband, increased competition from rival streaming services, and a number of macroeconomic factors. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine prompted Netflix to stop selling and providing its service in the country. The company estimates that the Russian war-torn country has lost 700,000 subscribers.
The situation in Russia is causing a series of major corporations to stop doing business there. Major Hollywood studios and corporations have suspended sales in the country. Netflix has also put its productions on hold in the country. Meanwhile, major tech companies are also taking a backseat in the region. Apple has also suspended online transactions and disabled some features in its services in Russia. AWS, which does not have any data centers in Russia, has suspended new signups and is suspending existing accounts if the country causes serious harm.
The Russian legislation also requires the company to offer 20 local channels as part of its service. Although the new law only applies to audiovisual services, it will apply to Netflix. If a service has more than one million subscribers, it must provide at least 20 local channels to consumers. Despite its limited Russian presence, the company still boasts 222 million subscribers worldwide. Its Russian service was a service provider agreement with the National Media Group.
Although there was an official statement from the company earlier in the week, the company is now halting sales and operations in Russia. This is a sign that the Russian government is putting its priorities above the interests of its citizens. Netflix was also putting a hold on future projects in Russia, including several original productions. A recent announcement indicated that the company had four Russian original series under production. One of them had already begun filming.
The Russian government has blocked Visa and Mastercard services. Last week, the U.S., EU, and Canada agreed to remove certain Russian banks from their SWIFT banking system. Other companies have also changed their plans. Twitter has also decided to shut down ad monetization for state-owned media outlets. TikTok has also shut down all new video uploads in Russia, citing new laws criminalizing the spread of “fake news.”
Other major tech companies are following suit. Microsoft has halted its sales in Russia, and Nvidia has suspended its sale of its products in the country. Sony, meanwhile, has stopped releasing new theatrical releases in Russia. Sony Interactive Entertainment, meanwhile, has suspended all hardware shipments in Russia and is denying sales of its new game Gran Turismo 7. Its PlayStation Store and Sony Music have also ceased operations in the country.
European Broadcasting Union bans Russia from participating in Eurovision
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has banned Russia from participating in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow, Ukraine. Last year, Russian state television canceled the show following the invasion of Ukraine.
A Russian entry would have brought the Eurovision song contest into disrepute, said the EBU, which banned the country from the event due to its recent actions. However, the country has not yet chosen a contestant, so there is still time for other countries to choose an entry.
The ban on Russian participation in Eurovision was first called for by state-owned Russian television and radio stations. A number of other public broadcasters called for the expulsion of the country, including Finland.
Ukraine had previously selected a song from the Crimean region Kalush Orchestra to represent the country at the upcoming Eurovision. The singer Alina Pash had previously announced herself as Ukraine’s Eurovision contestant, but that has since been suspended after the UA-PBC investigated the group. Pash’s trip to the Crimean peninsula in 2015 – occupied by Russia – prompted the suspension of her contract with the UA-PBC.
In the last ten years, Russia has been one of the best performers at the competition. In 2008, Dima Bilan won the competition, but in 2016 Crimean Tatar singer Susana Jamaladinova won the competition. She sang about Stalin’s deportation of the Crimean Tatars.
Currently, 40 countries will compete for the event in Turin, Italy. However, the Russian delegation should have participated in the second half of the Semi-Final 1 instead.
