Ukrainian negotiator Podoriak said on the 15th that ukrainian-Russian negotiations will continue on the 16th.
The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the 15th, announcing the initiation of the withdrawal procedure from the Council of Europe.
The Russian-Ukrainian negotiation process was very difficult and sticky
Room for consultation remains
Ukrainian negotiator and adviser to the Office of the President of Ukraine, Podoriak, released a statement on social media on the 15th, saying that the Ukrainian-Russian negotiations will continue on the 16th. He said that although the negotiation process on that day was "very difficult and sticky" and there were "fundamental contradictions" between the two sides, there was still room for consultation.
On the 15th local time, the deputy director of the Office of the President of Ukraine said that the Russian-Ukrainian talks are now more constructive, and the two sides are already discussing the agreement to be signed in the future.
Mezinski, head of the Russian delegation, wrote on social media that Russian-Ukrainian negotiators negotiate by video every day, saving both time and resources.
Russia announced the initiation of the withdrawal procedure from the Council of Europe
The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the 15th, announcing the initiation of the withdrawal procedure from the Council of Europe. Nato and EU countries maliciously exploit their majority position in the European Commission to turn the group into an anti-Russian tool and reject dialogue on an equal footing, the statement said. Under the current conditions, the Russian side will not remain in the Council of Europe. At the same time, the Russian side is open to pragmatic and equal cooperation with the members of the organization on issues of common concern.
On the 15th local time, Peter Tolstoy, vice chairman of the Russian State Duma, said on social media that Russia decided to withdraw from the Council of Europe, and the relevant letter from Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov has been handed over to the secretary general of the organization.
Tolstoy said the entire responsibility for disrupting the dialogue with the Council of Europe lies with NATO countries, which have been using human rights as a theme to achieve their own geopolitical interests and attacks on Russia. Given the unprecedented political and sanctional pressures facing Russia, it did not intend to continue to pay its contributions to the organization.
Tolstoy stressed that Russia left the Council of Europe voluntarily, a balanced and deliberate decision.
Russia announced sanctions against Biden and other U.S. dignitaries and individuals
The Russian Foreign Ministry also issued a statement on the same day, announcing the imposition of sanctions on 13 US dignitaries and individuals, including US President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, and Defense Secretary Austin. The statement said that the Russian side will expand the sanctions list in the short term in the future. Senior U.S. officials, military personnel, legislators, entrepreneurs, experts, and media personalities who hold anti-Russian positions or incite anti-Russian sentiment and advocate sanctions against Russia will be placed on the sanctions list.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said that this is the inevitable result of the extreme anti-Russian line adopted by the current US government, and the US government is desperate to contain Russia in order to maintain hegemony.
At the same time, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that the Russian side will not resist official contacts, and if it is in Russia's national interests and if necessary, the Russian side will go through the necessary procedures for the List of American personnel to arrange high-level contacts.
Ukrainian President Zelenskiy:
Do not join NATO but want a new form of security cooperation
Ukrainian President Zelenskiy said at the military leaders' meeting on the 15th that Ukraine understands that it will not become a member of NATO, so it hopes to obtain reliable security guarantees. He stressed that Ukraine needs a new form of security cooperation if it cannot join NATO.
President of Ukraine Zelenskiy
A video address will be delivered in the U.S. Congress
In the early morning of the 16th local time, Ukrainian President Zelenskiy said through social media that he would deliver a video speech in the US Congress on the 16th. It is reported that Zelenskiy himself will not travel to the United States.
Ukrainian President Zelenskiy met with the prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia
On the 15th local time, Ukrainian President Zelenskiy met with Polish Prime Minister Morawiecki, Czech Prime Minister Fiala and Slovenian Prime Minister Janssa.
Donetsk was again attacked by Polka-U missiles
About 10 people have been injured
According to the Donetsk emergency department, donetsk armed forces intercepted a dot-U missile on the evening of the 15th local time, and the wreckage of the missile fell in the Maceyevka area in eastern Donetsk and exploded, according to preliminary statistics, about 10 people were injured.
For the first time, Mariupol opened humanitarian access
Tymoshenko, deputy director of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said on social media on the 15th that more than 29,000 residents were evacuated through humanitarian channels on the same day, of which about 20,000 Mariupol residents were evacuated through humanitarian channels in private cars, of which about 4,000 vehicles drove to Zaporizhia. This is the first time since the second round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia on the 3rd that a humanitarian channel has been successfully opened in Mariupol and a large-scale evacuation has been carried out.
Ukraine reported the damage caused by the Russian operation
The Ukrainian Interfax News Agency quoted Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Monastelsky as saying on the 15th that since the Russian military operation, a total of more than 3,500 infrastructures in Ukraine have been damaged, including 230 transportation facilities, 165 living facilities, 72 educational facilities, 21 medical facilities, more than 2,700 residences and more than 400 national emergency department and police office buildings.
NATO held a special meeting of defense ministers on the 16th
NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg said on the 15th that NATO will hold a special meeting of defense ministers on the 16th to discuss long-term measures to improve the defense level of member states, including adding more troops in the eastern part of the alliance, significantly increasing air and sea deployments, and holding more and larger exercises. He stressed that this would require a significant increase in defense spending by member states.
Russian Central Bank: Suspension of gold purchases from credit institutions from the 15th
The Central Bank of Russia issued a statement on the 15th that after exempting individuals from the value-added tax on gold purchases, the demand for physical gold by the Russian people has increased. In order to meet the needs of the people, the Russian central bank decided to suspend the purchase of gold from credit institutions from the same day.
Russia will send a message to the UN Security Council
Submission of a resolution on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine
On March 15, local time, Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations Nebenja said that Russia will submit a resolution on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine to the United Nations Security Council.
A day earlier, France and Mexico had announced that they would submit their humanitarian resolutions to the United Nations General Assembly, and Russia did not consider it appropriate to skip the Security Council.
The United States imposed sanctions on 11 Russian military leaders
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced on March 15 local time that the Biden administration has imposed new sanctions on 11 Russian military leaders, including Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexei Krivuruchiko.
The United States will block the property and equity of the 11 Russian military leaders in the United States and prohibit the 11 people from conducting any transactions within the United States. These 11 persons will be added to the list of persons subject to special national sanctions. In addition, the United States will block companies or entities in which these 11 people directly or indirectly hold more than 50% of the shares.
Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation:
The United States does not dare to publish it on the territory of the former Soviet Union
Biological weapons research projects conducted
On March 15, local time, Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, said at a meeting held in Grozny on ensuring national security in the North Caucasus Federal District of the Russian Federation that the United States was afraid of announcing its biological weapons research and development on the territory of the former Soviet Union, and that the investigation should reveal the real intentions and consequences of the work carried out by the Ukrainian biological laboratory with the participation of the United States.
"The information we have received confirms that, with the financial support of the United States and with the direct participation of foreign consultants and consultants, biological weapons research and development projects have been carried out in biological laboratories set up in Ukraine," Patrushev said. Fearing a violation of the Biological Weapons Convention, the United States was afraid to publish its biological weapons research projects on the territory of the former Soviet Union. ”
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Nuland said steps should be taken to prevent accumulated research materials and samples of pathogens from flowing into Russia, Patrushev said. "It's no accident. In fact, that's what they're worried about. Patrushev also said that outbreaks of infectious diseases in some countries may be directly related to the activities of two biological laboratories in Ukraine. An investigation of these activities should reveal the true intent and consequences of such studies.
Source: Xinhua News Agency, CCTV News