What Ukraine's agenda looked like on 14 January 2021
A look back at the diplomatic, sanctions and public-health developments that framed Ukraine's politics in the days around 14 January 2021.
What was shaping Ukrainian politics on 14 January 2021? Three developments from the preceding days set the backdrop: a diplomatic visit, a package of foreign sanctions and a strict lockdown.
A first visit from Chisinau
On 12 January 2021, Moldovan President Maia Sandu arrived in Ukraine on her first foreign visit as president. Both countries said they were willing to join the Three Seas Initiative and the European Union.
Washington's sanctions
On 11 January 2021, the US Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on seven Ukrainian politicians, among them Oleksandr Dubinsky, Kostiantyn Kulyk and Oleksandr Onyshchenko. Four media outlets were also targeted: Era-Media, Only News, NabuLeaks and Skeptik. The Treasury cited interference in the US presidential election and participation in a Russian foreign influence network.
A strict lockdown
At home, the Cabinet of Ministers had introduced a strict quarantine on 8 January 2021, running until 24 January, as part of the response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Taken together, these events show a country balancing outward-facing diplomacy, scrutiny from abroad and the demands of public health at the start of 2021.
