Reactions of world leaders and politicians have poured in following Russia’s declaration of war on the Ukraine early morning on Moscow television.
Some have said they were ‘appalled’ by Vladimir Putin’s attack, while others expressed support for the Ukraine.
Shortly after new broke of the invasion, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: ‘I am appalled by the horrific events in Ukraine and I have spoken to President Zelenskyy to discuss next steps.’
‘President Putin has chosen a path of bloodshed and destruction by launching this unprovoked attack on Ukraine. The UK and our allies will respond decisively,’ he added.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was ‘appalled’ by Vladimir Putin’s attack
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted his support for the Ukraine on Wednesday night
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday morning condemned Russia’s attack as an ‘unjustified and flagrant breach of international law’
‘To the Ukrainian people, to President Zelensky, this evening, I reiterate our support, our attachment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,’ French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted in French on Wednesday night.
‘In economic and financial matters, in terms of defensive equipment, France will continue to provide its support,’ he added.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday morning condemned Russia’s attack as an ‘unjustified and flagrant breach of international law’ and said Berlin would consult its partners in the G7, NATO and the EU.
‘This is a terrible day for Ukraine and a dark day for Europe,’ he told Reuters.
In a coordinated response to Russia’s incursion into Ukraine, Germany halted certification of Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline on Tuesday after which President Joe Biden announced he was sanctioning the company building the pipeline.
The State Department’s spokesman Ned Price said Wednesday afternoon that Nord Stream 2 was ‘an $11 billion prize investment that is now a hunk of steel, sitting at the bottom of the sea.’
Germany is reliant on Russia as a main supplier of gas and the pipeline would have doubled the amount of gas flowing into the country.
Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine the following morning, describing it as a ‘special military operation’ and saying he wants to ‘demilitarize’, not occupy, the country.
Within hours of his address, which came around 6am Moscow time, Ukraine’s interior ministry said there had been hundreds of casualties, CNN reported – despite Russia insisting that they were only attacking military installations, and were avoiding populated areas.
Ukraine’s allies and world leaders responding included Mateusz Morawiecki, the prime minister of neighboring Poland, called for more sanctions on Russia. ‘We must immediately respond to Russia’s criminal aggression on Ukraine,’ he tweeted.
‘Europe and the free world has to stop Putin. Today’s European Council should approve fiercest possible sanctions. Our support for Ukraine must be real,’ he added.
‘I strongly condemn direct military attack of Russia on our neighbour – #Ukraine. [Russia] grossly violates international law & the principles of the UN Charter. It represents a direct threat to European security,’ Ivan Korcok, the minister of foreign and European affairs of the Slovak Republic, tweeted.
Russia’s neighbor Finland also lambasted the attack, as Prime Minister Sanna Marin tweeted: ‘I strongly condemn the military action Russia has taken in Ukraine.’
‘The attack is a grave breach of international law and threatens the life of numerous civilians. Finland expresses its solid support to Ukraine and Ukrainians and we are looking for ways to increase this support,’ Marin tweeted.
Meanwhile, some Americans lawmakers offered their support to the Ukraine while others weighed in on their thoughts on what led to the invasion.
‘California is standing with the people of Ukraine tonight. Russia is embarking on an unprovoked attack – an armed attempt to overthrow a sitting democracy. There must be consequences,’ Gavin Newsom tweeted.
Former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who drew ire for statements about the crisis, did not appear to condemn Russia and instead put the blame on President Joe Biden for the invasion.
‘This war and suffering could have easily been avoided if Biden Admin/NATO had simply acknowledged Russia’s legitimate security concerns regarding Ukraine’s becoming a member of NATO, which would mean US/NATO forces right on Russia’s border,’ she tweeted.
Former President Donald Trump was also quick to point fingers and place blame amid the devastating invasion.
Vladimir Putin has ordered an invasion of Ukraine, describing it as a ‘special military operation’ and saying he wants to ‘demilitarize’, not occupy, the country.
Trump, speaking to Fox’s Laura Ingraham as the Kremlin’s ‘special military operation’ began, claimed that the so-called ‘Russia hoax’ ruined his good relationships with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi, arguing he kept the two apart.
Ingraham asked Trump about the continuing closeness between Putin and Xi.
‘Well, I had a good relationship with both,’ he said. ‘It was hurt by the Russia hoax. You see what happened with Durham and those reports and other reports including Mueller. It was just a made up hoax and it really hurt our country but despite the hoax, I had a good relationship and with president XI of China, other than the fact that I was tariff-ing and taxing the hell out of him.’
‘As a young man growing up, I always heard that the worst thing that could happen is drive those two countries together. It really started with Obama and energy. He drove them together because one needed the energy and the other needed the money,’ Trump added.
‘He drove them together and Biden — I kept them apart – and Biden now it’s a great love fest and that’s a very bad thing and I think you can probably add Iran into it too.’
Trump argued he’d have used his good relationship with Putin to stop this from happening.
‘Well, I know him very well. We had many, many times together. I got along with him fantastically despite the fact I shut down Nord Stream-2, nobody would’ve heard of Nord Stream 2 if it weren’t for me. I am the one that shut it down.’
An explosion is seen in the early hours of Thursday in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv
Early Thursday morning, Ukraine’s border force said that their posts in the north have come under attack from both Russian and Belarussian forces – a hugely significant development, meaning Russia is not acting alone, and is attacking from all sides.
The Russian president early on Thursday told Ukrainian service members to ‘lay down their arms and go home’ as he declared war on Ukraine in an early morning address to the nation.
Putin said Russia could not exist with a ‘constant threat emanating from the territory of Ukraine’ and clashes between Russian and Ukrainian solders was ‘inevitable’.
Ukraine’s president declared martial law in the early hours of Thursday, in a video message to the people urging people to remain at home and stay strong. He said he had just spoken to Joe Biden.
‘We are working. The army is working,’ he said.
‘Don’t panic. We are strong. We are ready for everything. We will defeat everyone. Because we are Ukraine.’
Unconfirmed reports said that Russian forces had destroyed or rendered unusable the Ukrainian navy, and taken control of Boryspil Airport in Kiev.
Access to the Black Sea and Azov Sea was cut off.
More unconfirmed reports on Twitter appeared to show a huge seaborne landing by Russian forces in the Black Sea port of Odessa, involving large landing craft and helicopters shortly before 6am local time.
President Joe Biden will address the nation at noon on Thursday, and on Wednesday night he condemned Russia’s ‘unprovoked and unjustified attack.’ He was speaking to Ukraine’s president.
Biden said in a statement: ‘President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering.
‘Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable.’
Biden said he will be monitoring the situation from Washington, DC, and will continue to get regular updates from his national security team.