Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, May 19 (Xinhua) Comprehensive Xinhua News Agency reporters abroad: The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on the 19th that it will expel Portuguese and Slovenian diplomats.

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken said in a statement on the 18th that the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine officially reopened on the same day.

　　——Following the announcement on the 18th to expel the French, Spanish and Italian diplomats in Russia, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the 19th that in response to the unfriendly measures of Portugal and Slovenia towards Russian diplomats, Russia will expel the two countries’ diplomatic missions in Russia. personnel.

　　-- US Secretary of State Blinken issued a statement on the 18th saying that the US embassy in Ukraine reopened on the same day.

Blinken said the U.S. has taken additional steps to strengthen security for U.S. diplomats and embassies.

　　——Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Konashenkov issued a notice on the 19th that in the past day and night, 771 Ukrainian troops and Ukrainian military forces "Azov Battalion" who were besieged in the Azov steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine surrender.

Since May 16, a total of 1,730 militants have surrendered, including 80 wounded, all of whom require hospitalization will be treated in hospitals in the Donetsk city of Donetsk and Nova Azovsk.

　　——The governor of Russia’s Kursk region, Starovoit, said on social media on the 19th that the village of Tetkino in the Kursk region bordering Ukraine was shelled by the Ukrainian side in the early morning that day, killing at least one person.

　　——Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted on social media on the 19th that he had a phone call with European Commission President von der Leyen, and the two sides agreed on temporary measures to jointly control the border between Ukraine and Poland. In addition, they also discussed the "Ukrainian reconstruction platform" and EU financial aid to Ukraine and other issues.

　　——Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba urged EU countries on social media on the 19th to abandon their strategically ambiguous attitude on Ukraine's accession to the EU, and expressly support giving Ukraine EU candidate country status.

Kuleba said Ukraine does not accept any alternative to joining the EU.

(Participating reporters: Liu Kai, Zhao Bing, Li Ming, Li Dongxu)