Per editor: Cheng Peng, Lu Xiangyong, Yi Qijiang
Russia's special military operation against Ukraine entered its third day on Feb. 26, when the Russian Defense Ministry said it had crippled 211 Ukrainian military infrastructure.
On the evening of February 25, local time, Ukrainian President Zelenskiy posted a video on social networking sites in which he said that the Ukrainian president and government officials are still in Kiev and will continue to stick here.
According to CCTV News, on February 25, local time, the United Nations Security Council voted on a draft resolution on the situation in Ukraine submitted by the United States and Albania. The resolution was not adopted because Russia voted down the draft.
In the Security Council vote, 11 votes were in favour, 1 was vetoed and 3 abstentions. Russia voted against it and China abstained. As Russia is a permanent member of the Council, the draft resolution could not be adopted.
Press Secretary of the President of Ukraine:
Ukraine has not given up on negotiations with Russia
On February 25, local time, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the Ukrainian side refused to hold talks and proposed to discuss the issue on the 26th.
Image source: Visual China
However, Ukrainian President Zelenskiy's press secretary NikkiVrov then said ukraine and Russia were negotiating on the location and timing of the negotiation process and that Ukraine was ready to "discuss ceasefire and peace.".
Nikiv has denied claims that Ukraine has abandoned negotiations. He said that the two sides are now negotiating on the location and timing of the negotiation process.
Nikkiforov said the sooner negotiations begin, the more opportunities there will be to resume normal life.
According to a war report issued by the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Russian army has blockaded Kiev from the west, and has also blockaded the Ukrainian cities of Sumy and Konottop, which has paralyzed 211 Ukrainian military infrastructures.
According to the Global Network quoted by the Russian satellite network, the Russian Defense Ministry said on the 25th that the Russian army seized a large number of weapons provided by the West to Ukraine.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, these weapons include the U.S.-made FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile and the Imperial MBT NLAW anti-tank missile. In addition, the Russian Defense Ministry also said that it has destroyed 211 military infrastructure in Ukraine. The northeastern Ukrainian cities of Konotop and Sumy have also been blockaded by Russian forces.
The Russian Ministry of Defense released a video of the captured Ukrainian prisoners of war
On the 25th, the Russian Defense Ministry released a video of a captured Ukrainian soldier.
Russia's Defense Ministry said more than 150 Ukrainian soldiers have surrendered their weapons after Russian President Vladimir Putin called on Ukrainian soldiers to lay down their arms and surrender. According to the Russian News Agency quoted the representative of the Donetsk military on the 24th, it is willing to open a humanitarian corridor for the Ukrainian soldiers who surrendered their weapons.
Captured Ukrainian soldiers: In order not to let the children of my comrades-in-arms and brethren die in vain, we had no way back at that time, because we were cut off. So I decided to give the children who had just joined the camp a way to live. I decided to surrender, voluntarily.
Captured Ukrainian soldiers: Comrades-in-arms, I want to tell you that I am from the 53rd Brigade, and I call on everyone to surrender their guns, and like me and other comrades-in-arms, we are still alive now, and soon we will be able to go back to our respective homes.
Zelenskiy: We are all still in Kiev
According to the Interface News quoted by the British Sky News on February 25, according to the Israeli Walla news reporter Barak Ravid, two people familiar with the matter said that Ukrainian President Zelenskiy told the leaders of EU countries in a video conference call last night: "This may be the last time you see me alive."
According to the CCTV news client, on the 25th local time, Podoriak, an adviser to the director of the Ukrainian presidential office Yermak, issued a statement saying that the goal of Russia's invasion was to get President Zelenskiy to step down. He stressed that Zelenskiy will continue to stay in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.
That night, Ukrainian President Zelenskiy posted a video on social networking sites. In the video, he said that the Ukrainian president and government officials are still in Kiev and will continue to defend their country here.
Image source: Video screenshot
Russian representative to the European Union: Russia does not need ukraine's territory to withdraw its troops after the end of the operation
Although there is good news that Russia and Ukraine will start negotiations, the offensive and defensive battles between the two sides are still ongoing.
According to the latest news from CCTV News, on February 25, local time, the Russian Ministry of Defense issued a message saying that the main force of Russian airborne troops has blocked the western part of Kiev. In addition, the Russian army has blockaded the Ukrainian cities of Sumy and Konottop.
On February 25, local time, the Russian Ministry of Defense released a message saying that the Russian armed forces have paralyzed 211 Ukrainian military infrastructure since the start of the operation, including 17 command posts, 19 S-300 air defense missile systems and the "Austrian Hornet" air defense missile system and 39 radar stations.
In addition, the Russian army destroyed a total of 67 tanks and armored vehicles, 16 multiple rocket systems and 87 military vehicles, and shot down 6 military aircraft, 1 helicopter and 5 drones on the Ukrainian side. Russia's Defense Ministry says a significant amount of weapons and equipment supplied to Ukraine by Western countries in recent weeks has been seized.
In addition, the Russian Ministry of Defense issued a war report saying that on the 25th, the civilian armed forces in Luhansk and Donetsk advanced 21 kilometers and 25 kilometers respectively.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that the Russian army successfully carried out an airborne landing operation near The Gostomel airport on the outskirts of Kiev on the 24th. More than 200 Russian helicopters participated in the operation. The success of the landing operation was ensured by suppressing the entire air defense system of the landing zone, completely isolating the combat zone from the air, and active electronic warfare. More than 200 Ukrainian special forces personnel were killed in the process of seizing the airport. There were no casualties in the Russian armed forces. At present, the main russian airborne troops have rendezvous with russian paratroopers in Gostomelli, ensuring a blockade of the western direction of Kiev.
The Russian Defense Ministry said intelligence showed that the Hail multiple rocket launcher system had been deployed in Shevchenko Square in Kiev, Ukraine, to strike Gostomeri airport. The Russian Defense Ministry also said advisers to the Pentagon and the CIA had taught Ukrainian military leaders how to deploy rocket artillery systems in residential areas to provoke retaliatory shooting at local residents.
The Russian Defense Ministry released a message saying that the Russian armed forces have not carried out any missile strikes against the Ukrainian capital Kiev.
A spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said russia was targeting Ukraine's military infrastructure, airports and aviation facilities, not civilians. The Russian armed forces will not launch any attacks on the residential areas of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.
In a speech, Russia's director of foreign intelligence, Nareshkin, said that Russia does not want Ukraine to become a dagger in Washington's hands to russia, and the only way to achieve this goal is to de-militarize Ukraine and state neutralize. Therefore, Russia must take independent action to ensure the security of itself and its allies.
He said Russia's special operations would restore peace to Ukraine in the short term and prevent a potential, larger-scale conflict on the European continent.
Russia's permanent representative to the European Union, Vladimir Chizov, said Russia did not need Ukrainian territory, but Donetsk and Luhansk needed to return to "their original borders." Chizhov also pointed out that the Russian side will withdraw its troops from Ukraine after the end of the operation.
When Ukrainians handed out weapons to the people on the streets, they also said:
3.1 From 3.1 onwards, military salaries will be increased by 30%
Ukrainian military vehicles are reportedly entering Kiev to defend the capital. Krychenko, the mayor of Kiev, Ukraine, said that Kiev has entered the stage of defensive warfare.
Ukrainian military accounts posted a video of Ukrainian troops distributing weapons in the streets to people willing to fight.
According to CCTV News, Ukrainian Defense Minister Reznikov said that 18,000 submachine guns and corresponding quantities of ammunition have been distributed in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. The Ukrainian side said on the same day that the Russian army was rapidly moving towards the center of Kiev.
Ukraine's Joint Operations Ministry posted on its social media pages that the Ukrainian armed forces had broken through the positions of the Russian military in Luhansk and launched a counter-offensive. "Our troops broke through the positions of the Russian military and consolidated the victory through a counter-offensive," the article said. After suffering heavy losses, Russian troops are fleeing the battlefield in the direction of Russia. ”
Separately, Ukrainian Prime Minister Shmedgar said the Ukrainian government decided to issue 400 billion hryvnia (about $13.7 billion) of internal "war bonds" in phases to strengthen national security and defense. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense issued a message saying that from March 1, the salaries of soldiers of the Ukrainian armed forces will increase by 30%.
In addition, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Veleschuk also called on NATO countries to provide weapons to Ukraine on the 25th. She posted on social media, "I want to say to the leaders of NATO countries that yesterday, our relationship has opened a new chapter, and there is no more room between us to twist and turn." Give The Ukrainian weapons, let's do the rest ourselves! ”
Previously, NATO countries, mainly the United States, Britain and France, said that they would not send troops to Ukraine to fight Russia. U.S. White House spokesman Psaki said the U.S. government would not send troops to Ukraine to fight Russia under any circumstances. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace also said on the 25th that britain will not send troops to Russia. Wallace said: "I will not let the British army fight directly against the Russian army, that would trigger a European war." ”
Although it will not directly participate in the war, Pelosi, the speaker of the US House of Representatives, said on the 24th that the US Congress intends to aid Ukraine with weapons and equipment worth 600 million US dollars.
On February 25, local time, US Defense Secretary Austin told lawmakers in the House of Representatives that if Russia "controls" Ukraine, the US Department of Defense will consider how to train Ukrainian troops remotely.
Austin said the U.S. is looking to provide Ukraine with more military equipment. However, according to officials to the media, it is very difficult to do so in the case of Russian troops fighting in Ukraine.
Putin once again made a statement:
They left us with no choice
Regarding the special military operations carried out by the Russian side this time, Russian President Putin reiterated in a meeting with business people on the 24th that the US NATO is pressing forward step by step and is constantly expanding eastward, and the Russian side is forced to take helpless measures.
Russian President Vladimir Putin: Everything that's happening is based on a solution that minimizes losses, they don't leave us with any other options, they create so many security risks that we have no choice. All the attempts failed, failed. To be honest, I was even surprised that we couldn't get anywhere on any issue.
The EU decided it would freeze the assets of Putin and Lavrov
White House: Sanctions don't take Russian crude
At the summit that ended in the early morning of the 25th, the leaders of the 27 countries of the European Union also agreed on increasing sanctions against Russia. European Commission President von der Leyen said the new sanctions package will cover five areas: finance, energy, transport, exports and visas. At the same time, the EU will increase financial assistance to Ukraine and provide support to EU countries that may be affected by the crisis, especially EU countries bordering Ukraine, such as preparing for refugee shelter.
According to CCTV News, on February 25, local time, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Borrelli said in Brussels that the 27 member states of the European Union have reached a consensus on further sanctions against Russia and will freeze the assets of Russian President Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in Europe.
Asked about the specific assets of the two Russian leaders in Europe, Borrelli said that he himself was not clear about this, "I think the first thing is to confirm their assets through technical means, and the next step is to freeze."
Borrelli also said that the 27 member states of the European Union have not reached a consensus on the proposal to cut off Russia's payment system with the Institute of Financial Telecommunications to The Worldwide Bank (SWIFT) and therefore will not implement the sanctions for the time being.
On the afternoon of February 25, local time, at the NATO leaders' meeting, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that in addition to the sanctions plan against Russia that the United Kingdom has announced, the United Kingdom will immediately impose sanctions on Russian President Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov.
Johnson also urged NATO leaders to take immediate action to close Russia's access to the Global Interbank Financial Communications Association (SWIFT) payment system.
On February 24, local time, US President Joe Biden spoke at the White House on the situation in Ukraine. Biden said he and other G7 leaders agreed to push ahead with a "devastating" package of sanctions and other economic measures to hold Russia accountable. Biden said all Russian assets in the United States will be frozen and that the United States will work with allies to limit Russia's ability to do business using dollars, euros, pounds and yen.
According to the Financial Associated Press, U.S. State Department officials said on Friday that the Biden administration would not sanction Russian crude oil because it would harm American consumers, not Putin's interests.
Amos Hochstein, senior energy security adviser at the U.S. State Department, said that "the sanctions that follow will not target oil either." "If we target Russia's oil and gas industry because of Putin, as well as Russia's energy agency, then energy prices will soar." Maybe his product sales have halved, but the price has doubled," Hochstein said. "That means he won't be hit in any way, and it's the United States and our allies who suffer." Hochstein said oil prices had fallen somewhat and the government "expected further declines."
According to First Finance, Matt Gertken, an analyst in the geopolitical department of research institute BCA Research, told First Financial Reporter that the United States and the European Union will impose comprehensive sanctions, but they will not cut off Russia's energy exports, because this will lead to a recession in Europe. In the event of a full-blown energy crisis, Europe's political leaders are likely to step down in the coming years.
"Even the United States is vulnerable to global price shocks, especially since this year is a midterm election year, so the United States will allow the EU to continue to import Russian energy." Gortkin said.
Earlier, according to CCTV news, the Russian Foreign Ministry commented on the sanctions imposed by Western countries on Russian President Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov that Russia will continue to respond to these measures.
The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the 23rd saying that russia will make a strong response to the sanctions imposed by the United States. Russian countermeasures are not necessarily reciprocal, but for the United States, it will be a "precise" and "feelable" response.
The statement said that the US government has always tried to change Russia's course through sanctions. U.S. efforts to hinder Russia's economic development for years have been clearly futile, but it has reflexively manipulated restrictive tactics that are themselves ineffective and detrimental to America's own interests. Russia has proven itself capable of minimizing the damage of sanctions. Nor can the pressure of sanctions dampen Russia's determination to defend its interests.
Russia has $1 trillion in "dark money" overseas and more than $600 billion in foreign exchange gold reserves
Is Russia prepared in the face of the threat of U.S. and EU sanctions?
According to CCTV Finance reported on February 25, at present, Russia has established a solid financial shield, and its huge foreign exchange reserves and initiative in energy have helped to resist the impact of sanctions.
Now, the Foreign Exchange and Gold Reserves held by the Central Bank of Russia total more than $630 billion.
Russian banks bought nearly $5 billion in foreign exchange in December, nearly doubling from the same period a year ago, and now the Central Bank of Russia holds more than $630 billion in foreign exchange and gold reserves.
It is reported that in addition to "financial shields", Russia also has some "hidden shields" that can help it resist sanctions.
It is estimated that Russia has up to $1 trillion in "Dark Money" abroad, that is, "dark money" that is not easily detected, or hidden funds, which will also increase the difficulty of financial sanctions.
Now, while Ukraine has called for Russia to be excluded from the Global Interbank Payment System of the Association for Worldwide Banking Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), there are concerns about this on the Part of Europe, a move that will make it harder for European banks to get their money back from Russia.
The Wall Street Journal directly said that the proposal is a very difficult problem, and the launch of financial sanctions against Russia is not only difficult to coordinate, but may also have a negative impact on the overall economic recovery.
According to CCTV news, on February 24, local time, the Russian Foreign Trade Bank (VTB Bank) said that western sanctions will not affect the security of bank customer accounts and deposits, including dollars and euros.
U.S. stocks rose sharply, with the Dow hitting its biggest daily gain in 15 months
Boosted by the Signal of détente between Russia and Ukraine, on February 25, local time, the three major stock indexes in the US stock market rose for the second consecutive day. As of the close, the Dow was up 2.5 percent to nearly 835 points, its biggest one-day gain since November 2020. The S&P 500 rose 2.2 percent. The Nasdaq Composite rose 1.6 percent.
With the rally on Thursday and Friday, the U.S. stock market almost completely recovered the lost ground of the week.
The 11 sectors of the S&P 500 closed higher across the board, up between 1.4% and 3%.
Despite the sharp rally in stocks, investors said they remained nervous and prepared for further turbulence.
Jeff Kleintop, chief global investment strategist at Charles Schwab, said: "The situation is chaotic at the moment, but the sanctions have been clarified and I think this is where the market is getting some comfort. ”
Big tech stocks closed up collectively, with Apple up 1.30%, Amazon up 1.61%, Meta up 1.39%, Google up 1.33%, Microsoft up 0.92%, and Netflix up 0.20%.
Popular Chinese stocks rose and fell, with NetEase up 7.46%, JD.com up 2.24%, Baidu up 1.32%, Didi down 0.73%, Alibaba down 0.91%, New Oriental down 2.08%, and Bilibili down 2.09%. Most of the new energy vehicle stocks closed higher, Tesla rose 1.14%, Xiaopeng Automobile rose 1.36%, Ideal Automobile rose 1.94%, and Weilai Automobile fell 1.32%.
Editor| Cheng Peng, Lu Xiangyong, Du Hengfeng, Yi Qijiang
Proofreading | Lu Xiangyong
Cover image source: Video screenshot
This article is transferred from upstream news synthesized from CCTV News, Xinhua News Agency, CCTV Finance, CBN, Financial Associated Press, Global Times, etc
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