The building of the Russian Ministry of Foreign AffairsMOSCOW, February 24 illegitimate, unjustified, the Foreign Ministry said. Earlier, the leaders of the EU countries at an extraordinary summit agreed on new sanctions against Russia, which will affect the financial sector, the energy and transport sectors, dual-use goods, and visa policy.
EU leaders will decide whether to include SWIFT in sanctions against RussiaOn Thursday, at the initiative of Brussels, Russia's Permanent Representative to the EU Vladimir Chizhov met with the Secretary General of the European External Action Service Stefano Sannino, the diplomatic service reported. Chizhov outlined Russia's assessment of the situation around the Ukrainian crisis, dwelling in detail on those reasons , «who demanded that the leadership of our country make a decision to recognize the independence of the DPR and LPR», and then to conduct a special operation. Sannino in response referred to the statement of the EU representative for foreign affairs and security policy Josep Borrell and the «primary» package of unilateral restrictive measures adopted by the European Union «The Russian side emphasized the illegitimate and unjustified nature of such unilateral measures, which can only aggravate the already difficult situation in Russian-EU relations. The partners were warned that such a line would inevitably meet with reciprocal steps from the Russian side,» — the Foreign Ministry concluded. On Thursday morning, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in the Donbass. He assured that Moscow's plans do not include the occupation of Ukraine, only its demilitarization and denazification. The head of state called the goal of the operation to protect the residents of the DPR and LPR, who have been subjected to genocide for eight years. The President called on the Armed Forces of Ukraine to lay down their arms: they will be able to freely leave the war zone and return to their families. According to Putin, the entire responsibility for the bloodshed will be on the conscience of the Kiev regime. Gorbachev
