National and European Union flags fly at The Council of Europe in Strasbourg, eastern France on Feb 24, 2022, as representatives debate the situation in Ukraine after Russia launched a special military operation against Ukraine. (PATRICK HERTZOG / AFP)
MOSCOW/KYIV/WASHINGTON/ANKARA/UNITED NATIONS – Russia sent a notice of withdrawal from the Council of Europe to the organization's Secretary General Marija Pejcinovic Buric on Tuesday, five days after it announced that it would no longer participate in the council.
The move came the same day as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) "open door" policy had not worked for Ukraine, the Ukrainian UNIAN news agency reported.
In a statement on the withdrawal, Russian Foreign Ministry said: "The states of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and the European Union, abusing their majority in the Council of Europe, are consistently turning this organization into an instrument of anti-Russian policy, refusing equal dialogue and all the principles on which this pan-European structure was created.”
READ MORE: Ukraine seeking ceasefire, troop withdrawal in talks with Russia
Nevertheless, Russia remains open to pragmatic and equal interaction with the members of the Council of Europe on issues of mutual interest, it added.
Russia joined the council in February 1996 as its 39th member.
The Kremlin said President Vladimir Putin and European Council President Charles Michel discussed the Ukrainian situation during a phone conversation the same day.
The leaders exchanged views on Russia's special military operation in Ukraine and measures to evacuate civilians, Kremlin said in a statement.
NATO ‘open door’ policy
Regarding the NATO “open door” policy, President Zelensky said: "For years we've heard about 'open doors,' but now we are hearing that we can't enter those doors, and we have to admit it. I am glad that our people are beginning to understand this and rely on themselves and on our partners who help us.”
For years we've heard about 'open doors,' but now we are hearing that we can't enter those doors, and we have to admit it.
Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian President, Ukraine
Zelensky once again urged NATO to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine in the wake of the conflict with Russia, but noted that the likelihood of a positive decision of the alliance remains low, UNIAN news agency reported.
Russia launched a special military operation against Ukraine on Feb 24.
Ukraine extends martial law
The Ukrainian parliament on Tuesday extended the current martial law, which was imposed after Russia launched a special military operation against Ukraine, for another 30 days from March 26, Yaroslav Zheleznyak,a lawmaker, said on Telegram.
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The legislation to extend the martial law was supported by 343 lawmakers out of 345 present in the parliament, Zheleznyak said.
Ukraine-Russia talks continue
Ukraine and Russia will continue their peace talks on Wednesday, Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak, also a member of the delegation, said Tuesday.
"We'll continue tomorrow. A very difficult and viscous negotiation process. There are fundamental contradictions. But there is certainly room for compromise," Podolyak tweeted, adding that the work in subgroups will continue during the break.
The fourth round of negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations started on Monday via video link and continued into Tuesday.
In this image from video provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a meeting with Slovenia Prime Minister Janez Jansa, Czech Republic Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Polish Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski on behalf of the European Council, in Kyiv, Ukraine, March 15, 2022. (UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS OFFICE VIA AP)
Russia sanctions top Canadian officials
Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday that 313 Canadian officials have been barred from entering Russia, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Canada's Foreign Minister Melanie Joly, Defense Minister Anita Anand, and most members of the House of Commons of the Parliament are among the blacklisted officials, the ministry said in a statement.
Introduced in retaliation for the anti-Russian hostility of the current Canadian government, the restrictions came after Kremlin imposed similar sanctions on top US officials, including President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
ALSO READ: Russia imposes sanctions on Biden, other top US officials
Russia's "stop list" also includes Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Biden's son Hunter, and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton among others.
Russia to table its own draft resolution at UN
Russia will table its own draft Security Council resolution on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine after France and Mexico announced their intention to move their draft to the General Assembly, the Russian UN ambassador said on Tuesday.
France and Mexico announced on Monday that they would move to the General Assembly for action.
Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, said his country was prepared to adopt a resolution on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine provided that it was not a disguise to blame and shame Russia.
"We had a few rounds of expert consultations. I know that the co-sponsors were holding separate consultations with the members of the Security Council. They knew clearly, they knew from the very start. We said that there are paragraphs in the (draft) resolution, which are not humanitarian," Nebenzia told reporters on Tuesday.
Turkish FM leaves for Russia, Ukraine
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will hold talks in Russia on Wednesday and visit Ukraine the next day amid efforts to establish a ceasefire between warring sides.
"I am sending our foreign minister to Russia today. He will hold talks in Moscow tomorrow and will travel to Ukraine on Thursday," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
"He will continue our efforts to achieve a ceasefire and peace through talks with both sides."
Turkey hosted the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers on the sidelines of a diplomacy forum last week for their first high-level negotiations, although talks did not yield any progress for a ceasefire. Erdogan has repeatedly reiterated that Ankara cannot abandon its ties either with Russia or Ukraine since Turkey is neighboring the two countries in the Black Sea.
