Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, May 21. Comprehensive Xinhua News Agency reporters abroad reported that the Russian Foreign Ministry announced on the 21st a list of U.S. citizens permanently banned from entering the country. There are 963 people on the list, including U.S. President Joe Biden.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on the 21st that Ukraine is working with international partners to develop a security treaty without Russia's participation.
——The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on its website on the 21st a list of U.S. citizens permanently banned from entering the country, with a total of 963 people including Biden.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the same day saying that the hostile actions of the US government will continue to receive appropriate counterattacks, and Russia's countermeasures are forced.
Russia does not seek confrontation and is willing to engage in candid dialogue with mutual respect.
—— According to the Ukrainian state news agency, Zelensky said in an interview with the media on the 21st that Ukraine is working with international partners to formulate a security treaty without Russia’s participation.
The draft treaty still has some details to be agreed upon.
This document must be approved by the parliaments of all sponsoring countries.
——The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the 21st saying that in response to the anti-Russian sanctions imposed on Canada, Russia decided to permanently ban 26 Canadian citizens, including Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau's wife Sophie, from entering Russia.
The statement said that the anti-Russian sanctions introduced by the Canadian government not only target Russian politicians, military and business people, but also their relatives. Therefore, the Russian side has decided to add senior officials and their relatives and friends, military-industrial complex and shipbuilding enterprise executives and military commanders. placed on the prohibited entry list.
Russia will also introduce new countermeasures in the near future.
——Zelensky posted on social media on the 21st, thanking Biden for signing the aid bill totaling about 40 billion US dollars.
Zelensky said U.S. support was very important to Ukraine, adding that Ukraine looked forward to new and strong military assistance.
——Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Konashenkov issued a report on the 21st that the Russian army used the "caliber" high-precision sea-based cruise missile to destroy a large number of weapons and military equipment located in the Marin railway station area in Ukraine's Zhitomyr region. These weapons and equipment were provided by the United States and European countries and were originally planned to be equipped with the Ukrainian army in the Donbas region.
- Konashenkov said on the 21st that since the launch of the special military operation, the Russian army has destroyed a total of 174 Ukrainian fighter planes, 125 helicopters, 966 drones, 315 sets of anti-aircraft missile systems, 3182 tanks and other armored vehicles , 402 multiple rocket launchers, 1614 field artillery and mortars and 3054 special military vehicles.
——The Ukrainian State News Agency quoted Zelensky as saying on the 21st that Russia is currently blocking almost all Ukrainian ports, making it difficult to transport more than 20 million tons of grain to be exported.
- Konashenkov said on the 20th that the Russian armed forces have fully controlled the underground facilities of the Mariupol Azov Steel Plant.
Russia's TASS news agency quoted Konashenkov as saying on the 20th that the last batch of 531 Ukrainian armed personnel who were besieged in the Azov steel plant surrendered that day.
Since the 16th of this month, a total of 2,439 Ukrainian troops and Ukrainian military forces "Azov Battalion" who were besieged at the Azov Steel Plant surrendered.
(Participating reporters: Liu Kai, Li Ming, Li Dongxu, Zhao Bing)