China News Agency, Moscow, February 23 (Reporter Tian Bing) Russian media reported on the 23rd that the diplomatic staff of the Russian embassy and consulate in Ukraine began to evacuate that day.
On the same day, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the new round of U.S. sanctions, saying that Russia would make a strong response.
Russian media reported on the 23rd that the staff of the Russian diplomatic mission in Ukraine began to evacuate that day, and the Russian flag had been lowered from the Russian embassy in Ukraine.
According to Ukrainian media reports, the Russian flag has also been lowered at the Russian consulates general in Kharkiv, Lviv and Odessa, Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on the 22nd saying that since 2014, the Russian embassy and consulates in Ukraine have been repeatedly attacked, and Russian diplomats have been threatened with physical violence.
"In order to protect their lives and safety, the Russian leadership has decided to evacuate the personnel of the Russian mission in Ukraine."
The Russian Foreign Ministry also announced on the 22nd that it has established diplomatic relations with the "Donetsk People's Republic" and "Luhansk People's Republic".
On the 23rd, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged its citizens not to travel to Russia, and called on Ukrainian citizens in Russia to leave Russia as soon as possible.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has previously recalled the Chargé d'affaires of the Ukrainian Embassy in Russia.
RIA Novosti reported on the 23rd that the situation around the Ukrainian embassy in Russia was calm.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the 22nd that Kiev is considering the possibility of severing diplomatic relations with Russia.
In response to the new round of sanctions imposed by the United States, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the 23rd saying that although the United States has tried to curb Russia's economic development through sanctions for many years, it has been obviously futile, but the United States has once again imposed sanctions on Russia "reflexively" out of its own interests.
The US restrictive measures are not only ineffective, but also counterproductive.
Russia has proved that Russia is capable of minimizing the damage of sanctions, and sanctions pressure cannot affect Russia's determination to firmly defend its own interests.
The statement stressed that Russia will make a strong response to this.
"There is no doubt that the sanctions will receive a strong response, not necessarily reciprocal, but will be precise and felt by the US side."
US President Biden delivered a speech at the White House on the 22nd, announcing a new round of sanctions on Russia in response to Russia's decision to recognize two "republics" in eastern Ukraine.
After Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order on the evening of the 21st to recognize the "Donetsk People's Republic" and "Luhansk People's Republic" in eastern Ukraine, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan and Australia successively announced sanctions against Russia.
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