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epa09781642 Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with Russian businessmen at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, 24 February 2022. In the early hours of 24 February, President Putin announced his decision to launch a special military operation on Ukraine. Against this background, the Russian Ruble weakened against the US dollar and the euro to a six-year low, the Russian stock market fell by 11 percent, trading on the Moscow and St. Petersburg stock exchanges were suspended. The prices of oil and precious metals are rising on world markets. EPA/ALEKSEY NIKOLSKYI/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN / POOL