MOSCOW, Mar 24 Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with permanent members of the Security Council, reported press secretary of the head of state Dmitry Peskov. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported on the progress of the special military operation, the provision of humanitarian assistance, security and the restoration of vital infrastructure in the liberated territories. «Mishustin, Matvienko, Volodin, Medvedev, Patrushev, Kolokoltsev, Lavrov, Shoigu, Bortnikov, Naryshkin and Sergei Ivanov,» he said. The participants discussed the macroeconomic situation in the country. In addition, anti-sanctions topics were touched upon.The Kremlin called the West's vision of the situation in Ukraine inadequate «A detailed conversation was on the negotiation process with Ukraine. Regret was expressed due to the slowness of the Ukrainian side,» the presidential press secretary said. Russia launched a military operation on February 24 for the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine. In response, Western countries announced large-scale sanctions against Moscow, primarily in the banking sector and the supply of high-tech products. Some brands have announced the termination of work in the country. The Kremlin called these measures an economic war, the likes of which have not yet been. The authorities stressed their readiness for such a development of events and assured that they would continue to fulfill social obligations. The Bank of Russia is taking measures to stabilize the situation on the foreign exchange market. As Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said earlier, the government has prepared a plan to counter restrictive measures, which includes about a hundred initiatives. The volume of its funding will amount to about a trillion rubles. President Vladimir Putin signed a decree the day before, expanding the powers of regional authorities in the socio-economic sphere. The document also obliges them to increase social benefits, provide targeted support to citizens, ensure price stability for essential goods, control the situation on the labor market and reduce administrative barriers for private businesses. The president also announced an increase in pensions, a living wage and salaries for state employees.
