© Sergei Savostyanov/TASS

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, June 30th, prepared by TASS

Russia prioritizing promotion of homegrown brands and domestic businesses; EU officials meeting in Brussels to discuss dispatching own military mission to Ukraine; and China enacts law aimed at sanction-proofing its enterprises that do business with Russia. These stories topped Friday’s newspaper headlines across Russia.

Izvestia: Putin talks up Russian brands, says Western exit freed niches for local business

Russia should roll out a dedicated program for promoting homegrown brands, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the third annual forum of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI). The president highlighted the activities of Russian entrepreneurs, who in the first five months of 2023 filed over 43,000 trademark registration applications. He also expressed confidence that the country can handle any and all economic difficulties calmly and at a steady pace, Izvestia writes.

"In the last five months of this year, Russian entrepreneurs have filed over 43,000 applications for trademark registration. This is 35% more than in the same period last year," Putin noted.

According to ASI Director General Svetlana Chupsheva, food producers are currently the most active in terms of brand competition. "Almost 1,500 of the 5,000 applications we received were in this area. These represent the most diverse range of goods from practically all regions of Russia," she told Izvestia.

Putin stressed that sanctions and the exit of Western companies from Russia have opened up new opportunities for Russian entrepreneurs and companies, which are now actively occupying vacant market niches and exploring new areas, including export-oriented ventures. At the same time, the president called for developing a targeted policy for promoting domestic Russian brands.

According to Mikhail Khomich, director for special projects at ASI and managing director for international development at VEB.RF, any such policy should include a specific set of financial support measures. "The second point is making domestic companies and brands a priority for government procurement. And the third is assisting in getting [new brands] on the shelves of large grocery chains, which calls for clearly understandable, transparent mechanisms," the expert emphasized.

Izvestia: EU leaders to discuss dispatching military mission to Ukraine

EU leaders assembled in Brussels for the bloc’s latest summit to discuss the economy, defense, security, foreign policy, relations with China and migration, with Ukraine as the key agenda item, Izvestia writes. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was also invited to the meeting. The bloc’s leaders are reportedly considering dispatching their own military missions to Ukraine.

"The EU summit is critical vis-·-vis various aspects of the Ukrainian conflict. First of all, such summits are where the EU, as an economic union, makes collective decisions on the allocation of aid to Ukraine. Another level concerns the EU member states’ perceptions of economic relations with Ukraine. A month-and-a-half ago, extensive discussions among those countries bordering Ukraine resulted in the adoption of a moratorium on supplies of Ukrainian agricultural products. These countries would like to maintain the moratorium, which will be the subject of future talks," conflict analyst Denis Denisov told Izvestia.

Before the meeting even began, Stoltenberg said that the upcoming North Atlantic Alliance summit in Vilnius on July 11-12 would send a strong signal of support to Ukraine. Meanwhile, both NATO and the EU agree that Kiev should keep up the fight rather than engage in peace talks.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the EU was considering providing Kiev with its own security guarantees in addition to financial aid. However, the term "military mission" is not entirely clear, especially at the EU level, which cannot really discuss the military aspects of the conflict given that it is not a military organization, according to Fyodor Lukyanov, editor-in-chief of the Russia in Global Politics magazine.

Moreover, the expert noted that not all EU countries perceive the risks of direct participation in the fight in the same way, with Poland and the Baltic states being far more radical than the EU mainstream. As a result, "it is unlikely that a consensus will be reached on any military issues related to Ukraine," he said.

Vedomosti: South African president may be named guest of honor at Russia-Africa Summit

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa may visit Russia during the Russia-Africa Summit to be held in St. Petersburg on July 27-28. The presence of a high-ranking guest would automatically boost the importance of the event, especially if he meets with his Russian counterpart during the forum, Vedomosti writes.

After talks with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on June 28, South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said that African countries have not abandoned their peace plan for Ukraine and are ready to continue relevant outreach efforts to both Moscow and Kiev.

Representatives of several dozen African countries are expected to attend the second Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg. Natalya Piskunova, an associate professor at Moscow State University's Department of World Politics, believes that the July summit in St. Petersburg will become another platform for unofficial discussions of the issues involved in achieving a peaceful settlement in Ukraine in general, and the joint peace initiative put forward by seven African nations in particular. It is important to note that the African group of mediators is confidently and persistently demonstrating its commitment to the settlement process, which indicates the seriousness of Africa's intentions and its new role in contemporary international relations, she told the newspaper.

According to Grigory Lukyanov, a research fellow at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Asian Studies, it should be factored in that the Russian side, although it received the African initiative positively, considers a number of its points to be ambiguous. Nevertheless, the Russia-Africa Summit itself provides a good opportunity for both sides to discuss a peaceful settlement in Ukraine.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta: US shipping more Stinger MANPADS to Kiev despite doubts about weapon

The Ukrainian armed forces’ attempts to attack Russian army positions have been unsuccessful, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes. After three weeks of their much-awaited counterattack, Kiev’s forces have advanced to a tactical depth of 2-3 km in only a few sectors. However, this did not prevent Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny from saying that Kiev has "managed to take the strategic initiative." Meanwhile, the US is preparing new shipments of Stinger man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) for the Ukrainian armed forces.

According to the Russian leadership, the Ukrainian armed forces have not achieved any military success, and the latest reports from Russian military officials make note of the significant losses suffered by Ukrainian units in the special military operation zone. The United States and other NATO countries have so far contributed relatively small parties of demining equipment to the battlefield, and Kiev is calling on its partners to provide more.

Meanwhile, the US is also preparing new shipments of Stinger man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS) to the Ukrainian armed forces, despite media reports that their production was halted 20 years ago. According to the Pentagon, at least 2,000 MANPADS worth at least $60,000 have been provided to Ukraine.

"Russian aviation is showing great efficiency during the conflict, destroying armored vehicles and enemy forces. The United States and NATO believe that the Ukrainian armed forces do not have enough air defense systems. Therefore, in addition to the resumption of production of Stinger MANPADS in the United States, other countries are also sharing some anti-aircraft systems with Ukraine," retired colonel and military expert Vladimir Popov told the newspaper. He believes that the NATO summit in Vilnius on July 11-12 can be expected to green-light fresh military supplies for Kiev and new measures to support Ukraine's armed forces.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta: China finds way to sanction-proof its companies working with Russia

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China passed the Law on International Relations. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the new legislation is aimed at reinforcing the country's sovereignty and security. Hong Kong-based experts, however, see it as a tool for shielding Chinese companies and individuals from Western restrictions. Although the law does not single out any one country, in practical terms it could provide legal cover for Chinese businesses exporting to Russia from the effects of secondary sanctions imposed by the US. Foreign companies operating in China, on the other hand, are concerned that the law may hinder their activities, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes.

According to Huo Zhengxin, a professor at the China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing lacked an adequate legal mechanism for defending itself against US attempts to impose unilateral sanctions on China. That mechanism is now in place. According to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, the initiative is an umbrella law that includes other laws of its kind, notably the 2021 Anti-Sanctions Law.

Andrey Karneev, head of the School of Asian Studies at the Higher School of Economics (HSE University), told Nezavisimaya Gazeta: "This is the first time such a law has been adopted. It reflects China's growing participation in the world economy. Previously, China avoided getting involved in disputes that did not directly affect it. But today it is involved in virtually every global issue. As a result, the law in a sense extends [China’s] national jurisdiction to other countries, just as the US does. Of course, the document says nothing [explicitly] about Chinese companies operating in Russia. It is only worth noting that China has recently begun to devote significantly more resources to protecting the interests of Chinese companies and ensuring the safety of its citizens abroad."