Live blog: Ukraine receives $1.58B in macro-financial aid from EU

Monday, October 23, 2023

1250 GMT — Ukraine has announced that it received the ninth tranche of macro-financial aid from the EU amounting to $1.58 billion.

"In general, EU budget support in 2023 already amounts to €15 billion ($16 billion) — this is one of the most important factors that helps Ukraine to be economically strong and stable," Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in a statement on Telegram.

Shmyhal further said that Ukraine, together with the European Commission, is working on a new long-term programme with a total volume of $53.3 billion.

"We expect to receive €18 billion ($19.2 billion) from them next year," Shmyhal said, adding: "I am grateful to the partners for their steadfast solidarity with Ukraine."

The European Commission declared last month that it disbursed another $1.6 billion to Ukraine as part of its "macro-financial assistance" programme worth $19.2 billion aiming to support the country’s "immediate funding needs."

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1656 GMT — US says it wants forfeiture of Russian oligarch's $300M superyacht

The United States sought the forfeiture of a $300 million superyacht it says is controlled by billionaire Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, who is under US sanctions.

Authorities in Fiji seized the 348-foot (106-meter) Amadea yacht pursuant to a US warrant in May 2022 as Washington ramped up sanctions enforcement against people close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, to pressure Moscow to halt its military offensive against Ukraine.

Monday's complaint, filed in federal court in Manhattan, kicks off a potentially long judicial process in which the United States would seek ownership of the yacht, which is docked in San Diego, and then likely auction it and transfer proceeds to Ukraine.

Kerimov and his family are worth $10.7 billion, according to Forbes magazine.

He amassed much of his wealth through a stake in Russian gold producer Polyus. Polyus was sanctioned in May 2023. The company said the sanctions were unfounded.

1030 GMT — Kremlin: US can't build 'new world order' that Biden spoke of

The Kremlin said that it agreed with US President Joe Biden on the need to build a "new world order", but that it disagreed that the United States was capable of building it.

In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the US was talking about an "American-centric" world order that would not exist in future.

Peskov said Moscow was in rare agreement with Biden about the need for a new order that, in his words, would be "free from the concentration of all mechanisms of world governance in the hands of one state".

But he said Russia disagreed with Biden about the capacity of the United States to build such a system.

"In this part we disagree because the United States... no matter what world order they talk about, they mean an American-centric world order, that is, a world that revolves around the United States. It won't be that way any more."

0454 GMT — All Russian drones, cruise missile downed: Ukraine

Ukraine's defence systems destroyed all air weapons Russia launched overnight, Ukraine's Air Force has said.

The Air Force said on the Telegram messaging app that a total of 14 attack drones, including 13 Iranian-made Shahed drones and one unspecified drone, as well as one cruise missile, were all destroyed.

For our live updates from Sunday (October 22), click here.