China News Agency, Beijing, April 17. Comprehensive news: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the 17th that Ukraine is ready to negotiate with Russia on issues such as refusing to join NATO, provided that Russia stops military operations.

The chairman of the Russian State Duma said that Ukraine wanted to "buy time and seek military assistance from NATO."

The president of the European Commission called on EU countries to provide Ukraine with weapons quickly.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported on the 16th that the Russian army has taken control of all urban areas in Mariupol except the Azov Steel Plant.

　Zelensky says talks are premised on Russia's cessation of military action

　　Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with the media on the 17th that Ukraine is ready to negotiate with Russia on Ukraine's refusal to join NATO and the status of Crimea, but only if Russia stops military operations and its armed forces are removed from Ukrainian territory. evacuate.

On July 12, 2021, in Berlin, Germany, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

　　The Russian Satellite News Agency reported on the 17th that the Russian State Duma Chairman Volodin said that Zelensky’s remarks were to “buy time and seek military assistance from NATO.”

　　Volodin said that if Zelensky was considered for Ukrainian citizens, he should make a decision immediately.

First, withdraw troops from the Donbas region.

Second, to establish in the form of a treaty "the obligation to recognize Crimea, Ukraine's non-aligned status, and the denazification and demilitarization of the country".

　　According to the Ukrainian State News Agency, Zelensky said in a joint interview with several Ukrainian media on the 16th that the final text of the Ukraine-Russia armistice agreement may consist of two separate documents, namely the agreement on Ukraine’s security guarantees and Ukraine and Russia. Bilateral Agreement.

He said that the Russian side's compensation for the losses caused by the Ukrainian side must also be resolved in accordance with the law.

　　The Russian Ministry of Defense said on the 16th that the Russian army had cleared the far-right military organization "Azov Battalion", foreign mercenaries and Ukrainian troops in the urban area of ​​Mariupol, and the remaining Ukrainian military personnel were surrounded by the Azov steel plant.

For humanitarian reasons, all Ukrainian troops and mercenaries in the Azov Steel Plant who are willing to surrender their weapons can be guaranteed safety.

From 6:00 to 13:00 on the 17th Moscow time, the Ukrainian troops who put down their weapons can leave the Azov Steel Plant.

　　Zelensky said that if Russia eliminated the Ukrainian defenders of Mariupol, peace talks could not continue.

European Commission president calls on EU countries to quickly supply Ukraine with weapons

　　European Commission President von der Leyen on the 17th called on EU countries to quickly provide Ukraine with weapons and equipment, and no longer distinguish between their light and heavy types.

In addition, when it comes to the sixth round of sanctions against Russia, she said that sanctions against Russia will focus on the financial and energy sectors, and the main goal of EU sanctions is to continue to compress Russia's oil and gas revenue.

　　The EU foreign ministers agreed to continue to provide military assistance to Ukraine and will expand the supply of weapons, said Borrell, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, after a meeting of the EU foreign ministers' council.

　　The head of the European Cooperation Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Kobrinets, said earlier this month that weapons supplied by the European Union to Ukraine would circulate unregulated in Europe and could fall into the hands of terrorists.

　Putin signs multiple decrees in response to Western sanctions

　　In response to Western sanctions, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the 16th to delist the depositary receipts of Russian companies in foreign stock exchanges.

　　The decree stipulates that Russian companies must terminate the placement and circulation of depositary receipts on foreign stock markets and convert depositary receipts on foreign stock markets into shares on Russian stock exchanges.

Investors can choose to exchange their holdings of foreign stock market depositary receipts of Russian companies into stocks in the Russian stock market, and the converted stocks will continue to pay dividends.

　　According to a report by the TASS news agency on the 16th, many Russian companies, including Gazprom, Aeroflot, Sberbank, etc., have used depositary receipts to finance in foreign securities markets.

　　Putin also signed a decree on the same day, stipulating that Russia will settle in rubles in the purchase of infrastructure equipment and services.

　　In addition, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the 16th saying that in response to the British sanctions against Russia, Russia decided to ban Prime Minister Johnson and other key members of the British government from entering Russia.

　　According to the news released by the Kremlin website, Putin had a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the 16th. The two sides exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine and Yemen. Cooperation is positively evaluated.

Russia and Ukraine respectively report military progress

　　According to a report by the Russian Satellite News Agency on the 17th, the Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Konashenkov reported that the Russian army destroyed 68 military installations in Ukraine in tactical air strikes, including a set of "Wasp-AKM" air defense systems.

Russian missile and artillery units also destroyed 814 targets in Ukraine, including 17 command posts, 111 artillery firing positions, 684 strongholds and manpower areas.

　　The Ukrainian State News Agency quoted Zelensky as saying on the 16th that since the escalation of the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, 2,500 to 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed, and about 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been injured in the conflict. The number of civilian casualties is very high. Difficult to count.

Zelensky said action must be taken to prevent the conflict from continuing indefinitely because "the longer it goes on, the more Ukraine has to lose".

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