The Russian side said that the Russian and Ukrainian delegations will continue negotiations

The Russian side said that the Russian-Ukrainian delegation will continue negotiations

Mekzynski, head of the Russian delegation and assistant to the president, said on the 28th that the negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations have ended, and the two sides have agreed to continue negotiations.

According to the TASS news agency reported on the 28th, Meginsky told the media after the talks that the negotiations lasted about 5 hours. During the negotiations, The Representatives of Russia and Ukraine discussed all the topics on the agenda in detail and found some topics on which the two sides predicted that they could reach an agreed position. "Most importantly, both sides agreed to continue negotiations."

Mechinsky said the two delegations would consult their respective leaders on their negotiating positions before the next meeting. According to the relevant agreement, the next negotiation will be held in the next few days on the border between Belarus and Poland.

According to reports, the Russian-Ukrainian delegation held talks in the Gomel Oblast of Belarus on the 28th. For security reasons, the exact meeting point was not announced.

On the evening of the 28th local time, the negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations had just ended, and the Ukrainian capital Kiev sounded many explosions, followed by the continuous sound of city sirens.

Zelenskiy signed a ukrainian application to join the European Union

Ukrainian presidential press secretary Nikifov said on the 28th that Ukrainian President Zelenskiy signed a document on Ukraine's application to join the European Union in Kiev on the same day.

In a social media post, Nikiforov said the document was "historic" for Ukraine.

Earlier in the day, Zelenskiy made a video address calling on the EU to initiate a special procedure to immediately agree to Ukraine's accession to the EU.

Zelenskiy's official social media account issued a statement in the early morning of the 28th that Zelenskiy and European Commission President von der Leyen had a phone call, and the two sides discussed issues such as enhancing Ukraine's defense capabilities, macro financial assistance and Ukraine's EU membership.

On February 7, 2019, the Ukrainian Parliament passed a constitutional amendment to include Ukraine's accession to the European Union and NATO as the country's basic policy.

Switzerland announced its participation in EU sanctions against Russia

The Swiss Federal Council held a special meeting on the 28th and decided to participate in the EU's sanctions package plan against Russia, freeze the assets of relevant Russian individuals and institutions in Switzerland, and prohibit Swiss companies from doing business with the sanctioned targets.

According to the press release issued by the Swiss Federal Council on the 28th, Russian President Putin, Prime Minister Mishustin and Foreign Minister Lavrov were included in the sanctions list, and the relevant sanctions took effect immediately.

According to the press release, from 15:00 local time on the 28th, except for flights for humanitarian, medical or diplomatic purposes, Switzerland will close its airspace to all flights from Russia and aircraft marked by Russia.

The suspension of the operation of the U.S. Embassy in Belarus recommends that U.S. citizens leave Russia immediately

The U.S. State Department issued a Feb. 28 statement saying the U.S. embassy in Belarus had suspended operations and authorized the voluntary evacuation of "non-emergency" staff and their families from Moscow.

The statement said that the US side took the above measures in response to Russia's military operations in Ukraine.

The US State Department issued a statement on the 28th saying that in view of the military actions taken by the Russian army against Ukraine, it is recommended that US citizens leave Russia immediately.

The statement said the U.S. Embassy in Russia has limited capacity to assist U.S. citizens in Russia, and U.S. citizens need to choose the available means to leave Russia immediately. In view of the cancellation of flights to and from Russia by a number of airlines, the closure of airspace by many countries to Russia, and the closure of several airports in southern Russia, U.S. citizens who are on the Russian-Ukrainian border or plan to travel to relevant areas should consider the danger and unpredictability of the local situation.

The President of France and the President of Russia and Ukraine had separate telephone calls to discuss the situation in Ukraine

The French Presidential Office said on the 28th that French President Macron had a telephone conversation with Russian President Putin and Ukrainian President Zelenskiy on the same day to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

According to a press release issued by the French Presidential Palace on the 28th, Macron reiterated in his call with Putin that the international community demanded that Russia stop its attack on Ukraine and stressed the need for an immediate ceasefire. The Leaders of France and Russia agreed to maintain contacts in the coming days to prevent the situation in Ukraine from deteriorating.

Macron wants the Russian side to pledge three things: to stop all attacks on civilians and places of residence, to protect all civilian infrastructure, and to protect major roads, especially those south of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.

In a call with Zelenskiy, Macron endorsed the Ukrainian president's "sense of responsibility" for resolving the crisis through negotiations.

According to the Russian presidential website, Putin had a telephone conversation with Macron on the same day and stressed that the Russian armed forces will not pose a threat to civilians and will not attack civilian facilities.

Putin said that the mediation of the Ukrainian conflict can only be carried out without conditional consideration of Russia's legitimate interests in the security field, including recognizing Russia's sovereignty over Crimea, completing tasks such as "de-militarization" of Ukraine and ensuring Ukraine's neutrality.

Putin said that the Russian side is open to negotiations with Ukraine and looks forward to the expected results of the negotiations.

NATO supplies Ukraine with anti-tank weapons and anti-aircraft missiles

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Social Media on Feb. 28 that NATO was providing anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank weapons and other aid to Ukraine.

NATO said on the evening of the 27th that NATO allies continue to strengthen political support and material assistance to Ukraine, tens of thousands of anti-tank weapons, hundreds of anti-aircraft missiles, small arms and arms and ammunition are being shipped to Ukraine, NATO countries also provide economic assistance and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States and others have approved the shipment of military equipment to Ukraine, including key weapons such as Javelin missiles and anti-aircraft missiles, NATO said.

NATO has been providing aid to Ukraine for years and has also helped train and reform ukraine's armed forces since 2014, Stoltenberg said.

Russia has closed its airspace to flights to 36 countries

The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency said on February 28 that Russia decided to restrict flights from 36 countries in Russian airspace.

According to a notice published on the official website of the Russian Federal Aviation Agency, due to the announcement of flight bans by European countries against civil flights operated by Russian airlines or registered in Russia, in response to the norms of international law, Russia decided to impose restrictions on flights operated by airlines in a total of 36 countries, including Canada and many European countries.

Flights from the above-mentioned countries can be flown after applying for a special license issued by the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency or the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the announcement said.

European Commission President von der Leyen issued a statement on the evening of the 27th that the European Union decided to close its airspace to Russia as a whole. Canada announced on the 27th that it would immediately close its airspace to Russian aircraft.

Russian Ministry of Defense: Russia's strategic missile forces and others began combat readiness duty

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian Defense Minister Shoigu reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 28 that the duty forces of the Russian Strategic Missile Force, the Northern Fleet and the Pacific Fleet, and the Long-range Aviation Corps have all been strengthened and have begun combat readiness duty.

On the 27th, Putin ordered the transfer of the Russian military deterrent force to a special state of combat readiness. According to TASS, Russia's strategic deterrent is aimed at curbing outside aggression against the Russian Federation and its allies, and to defeat the aggressors in war with various weapons, including nuclear weapons.

The United Nations General Assembly convenes an emergency special session on the situation in Ukraine

In his speech at the emergency special session, President Shaheed of the 76th session of the General Assembly reiterated his call on all parties to cease fire immediately, exercise maximum restraint and return to the diplomatic solution. He said that the international community should control the situation through various channels, ease tensions and seek a peaceful solution to the Ukrainian issue in accordance with international law and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

In his speech, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said the fighting in Ukraine must stop immediately. The Problem of Ukraine is a major regional crisis that could have a catastrophic impact on all countries. The only way out is peace, and the channels of dialogue must remain open.

The United Nations Security Council met on the 27th and voted to adopt Resolution 2623, which calls for an emergency special session of the UnGain General Assembly on the situation in Ukraine.

The United Nations Human Rights Council decided to hold an urgent debate on the situation in Ukraine

The 49th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council decided by vote on the 28th to agree to the request made by the representative of Ukraine and to hold an urgent debate on the situation in Ukraine later this week.

Source: Xinhua WeChat Integrated Xinhua News Agency, @CCTV News