Comprehensive Xinhua News Agency reporters abroad reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin said on the 16th that the Western sanctions against Russia have seriously hit the global economy. Ukrainian negotiator and adviser to the Ukrainian President's office podoliyak said that Ukrainian and Russian leaders are expected to hold direct dialogue on the ceasefire in the next few days. —— According to the statement issued by the Kremlin website on the 16th, Putin said at a meeting on the same day that Western sanctions against Russia have seriously hit the global economy. The West regards economic, financial, trade and other sanctions as "weapons" against Russia, resulting in the rise of gasoline, energy and food prices. These sanctions have also dealt a blow to Europe and the United States itself. —— According to Ukrainian State News Agency reported on the 16th, podoliyak said in an interview that Ukrainian and Russian leaders are expected to have a direct dialogue on the ceasefire in the next few days. "We are very confident that a ceasefire agreement will be reached in the next few days.". He said that the only way to end the war is the direct dialogue between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents, which is also the goal of the current negotiations between the two sides. The two sides are drafting relevant documents for the discussion and signing of the two presidents. —— US President Biden signed a memorandum on 16 July, entrusted Secretary of state Blinken to authorize the US Defense Department to provide us $800 million worth of arms aid to Ukraine. Biden said that the assistance includes 800 air defense systems, 9000 anti armor weapons, 7000 light weapons such as machine guns, shotguns and grenade launchers, 20 million rounds of ammunition including artillery and mortar shells and UAVs. On the same day, Sullivan, assistant to the president of the United States for national security affairs, talked on the phone with Patrushev, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, to discuss the situation in Ukraine. —— Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Konashenkov said on the evening of the 16th that since Russia launched special military operations, Russian troops have destroyed 180 Ukrainian warplanes and helicopters, 166 UAVs, 1367 tanks and other armored vehicles, 132 multiple rocket launchers, 502 field artillery and mortars and 1156 special military vehicles. —— Turkish President Erdogan held talks with visiting Polish President Duda in Ankara on the 16th to discuss the situation in Ukraine and bilateral relations. Erdogan said at a joint press conference after the talks that Turkey and Poland agreed on the need to accelerate diplomatic efforts to end the Ukrainian crisis as soon as possible. He said that Turkey will continue to make efforts for a ceasefire. (Xinhua News Agency)