Home › Politics › Two moves that framed Kyiv and Moscow in July 2023
Two moves that framed Kyiv and Moscow in July 2023
Summary
A look back at a 20 July 2023 snapshot of the war's pressures: new aid for Ukraine and a Russian takeover of foreign-owned assets.
What did the days around 20 July 2023 show about the pressures surrounding the war in Ukraine? Two developments, reported on 15 and 16 July, point in opposite directions: one brought outside support to Kyiv, the other tightened the Russian state's grip on foreign business.
Seoul's unannounced visit
On 15 July 2023, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol made an unannounced visit to Kyiv and met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He announced that South Korea would pledge a further US$150 million in aid to Ukraine.
Moscow's takeover decision
On 16 July 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised a temporary state takeover of the shares of French agribusiness Danone and of Baltika, the brewer owned by Carlsberg. The step was part of a wider response to private companies, these two among them, that had reduced their business operations in Russia during the war.
What the two moves show
Taken together, the reports show two tracks of the conflict. Abroad, a government with a visiting head of state added to its financial aid for Ukraine. In Russia, the state moved against the holdings of foreign companies that had scaled back their presence. Many private companies had by then ceased operations in Russia, or donated to Ukrainian organizations, in response to Russia's seizure of Ukrainian territory in 2014 and 2022.
The takeover was described as temporary. Beyond that, the reports gave no detail on how long it would last or what would follow for the two companies.
