China News Service, March 12 (Zhang Aolin) On the 11th local time, US President Biden announced a "major decision" at the White House: canceling Russia's most-favored-nation treatment, saying it was the "latest punishment" for Russia. .
At the same time, Biden also announced a ban on Russian vodka, diamonds and seafood, intending to further "isolate Russia".
However, the United States does not intend to give a positive response to Ukraine's request to join the European Union and establish a no-fly zone.
On the 11th local time, US President Biden announced at the White House that Russia's most-favored-nation status was cancelled.
Image source: Screenshot of the White House website
Sanctions looming
What does it mean to abolish most-favored-nation status?
In short, the WTO stipulates that all members enjoy the most-favored-nation treatment on an equal footing, but member states can choose whether to cancel this treatment according to their own circumstances.
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) reported that after this decision took effect, it meant that the United States would start a "destructive taxation" against Russia.
Data map: Russian ruble.
The United States and its allies have imposed a series of sanctions on Russia since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
——On February 26, the United States and Europe decided to exclude some Russian banks from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) payment system;
——On February 28, the U.S. Treasury Department announced that it would freeze the assets of the Russian Central Bank in the United States;
——From late February, the European Union, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and other countries announced the closure of their airspace to Russia;
——On March 8, Biden announced that he would ban the import of Russian oil, liquefied natural gas and coal.
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In addition, Russian cats, trees, and now even seafood and vodka have not escaped the fate of being sanctioned.
It can be said that the Western sanctions against Russia have covered many fields such as finance, trade, technology, energy, aviation, entertainment and catering.
Ukraine did not give what it wanted
Nonetheless, none of Ukraine's expectations of the West have been fulfilled.
FILE PHOTO: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukraine's continuous search to join NATO can be said to be a very important trigger for this conflict.
Although the United States once "painted cakes" for Ukraine, after the war began, NATO did not really want to accept Ukraine's attitude, and it was exposed.
Even Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky himself has realized that NATO is reluctant to accept Ukraine for fear of confrontation with Russia, so it is no longer keen on this issue.
However, Zelensky seems to have not given up on joining the EU.
After the Russian-Ukrainian conflict broke out, Zelensky signed the document applying for EU membership on February 28.
On March 1, he again called on the EU to agree to admit Ukraine to the bloc.
However, there is still only "a basin of cold water" waiting for Zelensky.
On March 11, local time, French President Emmanuel Macron attended an informal summit of EU leaders.
On March 10, local time, the informal summit of EU leaders opened at the Palace of Versailles in Paris. Several EU leaders, including French President Macron and German Chancellor Scholz, said that Ukraine would not be granted access to the EU in a short time. .
Not only that, Zelensky has always hoped that NATO could establish a no-fly zone in Ukraine after the conflict broke out.
He even directly demanded that NATO close Ukraine's airspace during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on March 10.
However, what Zelensky waited for was still a cold refusal.
Trudeau made it clear, "If we send NATO planes to Ukraine to shoot down Russian planes, NATO runs the risk of being involved in a direct conflict. We can't do that."