Kremlin does not see Russia behind the Iron Curtain

The terms of the Russia-led special military operation to demilitarise and denazify Ukraine will be determined by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on February 24, TASS reports.

Ideally, Ukraine needs to be liberated and cleansed of Nazis, Peskov said.

Dropping iron curtain on Russia impossible

Kremlin's and Putin's official spokesman Peskov also said that one can not drop an iron curtain on Russia, because problems with a number of countries will inevitably arise.

"A country like Russia can not find itself behind the iron curtain. Of course, we may have problems with a number of states, but one way or another, we have had problems with those states before anyway," Putin's press secretary said.

Ukraine to maintain consular relations with Russia

Ukraine will maintain consular relations with Russia despite its decision to sever diplomatic ties, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement published on its official website.

The consular relations between Russia and Ukraine would not be severed in accordance with Article 2 of the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. The decision to maintain consular relations was made in order to continue protecting the rights and interests of Ukrainian citizens, "including Ukrainian political prisoners," in Russia.

Ukraine's consular offices in Russia will continue to work as usual, the Foreign Ministry added. At the same time, the ministry recalled Vasily Pokotil, Chargé d'Affaires of Ukraine in the Russian Federation, to Kiev and proceeded to evacuate the Ukrainian embassy in Moscow.

On February 23, Russia announced evacuations of personnel of all Russian diplomatic missions in Ukraine.

Ukraine proceeded to break off diplomatic relations with Russia on February 24 after Russian President Putin launched a special military operation in the Donbass.