China News Agency, Beijing, July 16. Comprehensive news: The European Commission formally proposed the latest sanctions once morest Russia on the 15th, and plans to adjust existing sanctions to ensure that they will not disrupt Russia’s food and grain exports. In addition, Leonid Slutsky, a member of the Russian negotiating team, said that the grain export agreement does not guarantee the resumption of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
EU to adjust sanctions to protect food trade
According to Archyde.com, the European Commission formally proposed the latest sanctions once morest Russia on the 15th, including a ban on the import of Russian gold. In addition, the European Commission will adjust existing sanctions to ensure they do not disrupt Russia’s food and grain exports.
African countries have previously blamed EU sanctions for exacerbating the food crisis, but the EU denies its sanctions affect food trade. An EU official said the changes to existing sanctions were made to ensure the rules were not misunderstood by businessmen.
Some traders shun food exports from Russian ports, which are indirectly owned by Russian state-owned companies sanctioned by the European Union, the report said. The source said the new sanctions package would clarify that the ports are not subject to sanctions.
Russia says grain export deal cannot guarantee Russia-Ukraine talks
According to a report by TASS on the 15th, Leonid Slutsky, a member of the Russian negotiating team and leader of the Russian Liberal Democratic Party, said that the grain export agreement does not guarantee the resumption of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
“Ukraine is committing horrific atrocities, including once morest Russian prisoners of war, and this has to change,” Slutsky said. He said some opponents in Kyiv, encouraged by the West, were ready to confront Russia.
According to a report by Al Jazeera on the 15th, a senior Ukrainian official said that Ukraine is pressing for an agreement with Russia, Turkey and the United Nations next week to export grain through Black Sea ports. Asked if it was realistic to sign a deal next week, the source said, “We really hope so and we’re going as fast as we can”.
At the same time, the Russian Defense Ministry said that during negotiations in Istanbul this week, Russia’s proposal to resume Ukrainian grain exports was “basically supported” and an agreement was regarding to be reached.
Turkey said it would sign a quadrilateral agreement with Russia, Ukraine and the United Nations next week.
Russian Defense Minister instructs Russian armed forces to strengthen operations in all aspects
According to a report by the Russian Satellite News Agency on the 16th, Russian Defense Minister Shoigu listened to the commander of the Russian Army’s Southern and Central Military Regions and other commanders on the current situation, enemy operations, and the completion of tasks of the Russian army during special operations.
According to the report, Shoigu instructed to strengthen the operations of the Russian armed forces in all aspects following hearing the report to prevent Ukraine from carrying out large-scale attacks on civilian infrastructure and civilians in Donbas and other areas.
According to today’s Russian TV report on the 15th, the Russian military confirmed that a missile was fired at the central Ukrainian city of Vinnitsa, but the Russian Defense Ministry denied that it was a deliberate attack on civilians, saying the attack was a Ukrainian military commander negotiating with a foreign weapons supplier occurred when.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said at a press conference on the 15th that Russia used a cruise missile to attack the residence of military officials in Vinnitsa.
Earlier, Ukraine said that a Russian missile attack on Vinnitsa had killed civilians. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia deliberately attacked the city center and accused it of “terrorism”.
Ukraine says Russian military deliberately destroys cultural heritage in Ukraine
According to the Ukrainian state news agency, Ukraine said that the Russian military deliberately caused damage to cultural heritage in Ukraine, including the Hryhoriy Skovoroda Memorial Museum in the Kharkiv region and the local history museum in the Kyiv region. In addition, the Russian army took away the museum collections of Mariupol and Melitopol.
On the other hand, Sergey Leonidchenko, adviser to Russia’s permanent mission to the United Nations, said at an informal meeting of the UN Security Council, according to Sputnik, that UNESCO has confirmed that in Russia During the special military operation, none of the World Heritage-listed Ukrainian facilities were damaged.
Leonidchenko said the UNESCO secretariat regularly receives detailed reports from Russia on Ukrainian attacks on cultural, historical and religious facilities. Russia said that in Donetsk and Luhansk alone, the Ukrainian army destroyed 63 such facilities, including theaters, religious buildings and monasteries. (Finish)
