The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
EU PARLIAMENT PLANNING FOR POSSIBLE ZELENSKYY VISIT
The European Union’s legislature was preparing plans to host Volodymyr Zelenskyy should the Ukraine president decide to come to Brussels to attend an EU summit later this week.
Two sources in the parliament, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said such plans are only meant to prepare the legislature to host Zelenskyy if security conditions permit him to attend Thursday’s meeting.
EU leaders from the 27-nation bloc will be gathering for Thursday’s summit in Brussels, enabling Zelenskyy to meet all major leaders of the bloc in one day.
The only trip outside Ukraine that Zelenskyy has made was a visit to Washington in December to seek further aid for the war and to thank Ukraine’s major financial and military backers for their support.
RUSSIA’S REVENUE FALLS SHARPLY IN JANUARY FROM YEAR EARLIER
Russia’s finance ministry said Monday that budget revenue in January was 35% lower compared with the same month in 2022, the last month before Russia sent troops into Ukraine.
The ministry also said the budget deficit for January was 1.77 trillion rubles ($23.9 billion), about 60% of the shortfall that had been planned for the entire year.
Oil and gas revenue, the backbone of Russia’s economy, was down 46% compared with January 2022.
Western countries have declared a $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian crude oil as well as ceilings on refined oil products like diesel fuel and gasoline.
RUSSIA ENDS DISCLOSURE RULES FOR OFFICIALS, CITING WARTIME SECRECY NEEDS
In the latest indication of expanded state secrecy in wartime Russia, President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed legislation that will exempt Russian lawmakers from a requirement that they disclose details of their income, expenses and property.
The law will still require members of parliament to submit an income declaration, but in a summarized format without any personal data.