After several weeks of uncertainty and concern, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced early this Thursday, February 24, at 3 a.m. GMT, a special military operation in Donbass, a separatist region in eastern Ukraine which he recognized independence at the start of the week. Already, the condemnations fuse.
In his surprise statement, the Russian president urged the Ukrainian military “to lay down their arms”, while warning those “who would try to interfere with us”. “They must know that Russia’s response will be immediate and will lead to consequences you have never experienced before,” he added.
In response, the US president said in a statement that his Russian counterpart “has chosen a premeditated war that will result in catastrophic loss of life and human suffering”.
“Russia bears sole responsibility for the death and destruction this attack will cause, and the United States and its allies and partners will respond united and decisively. The world will hold Russia accountable. I will monitor the situation from the White House this evening and will continue to receive regular updates from my national security team,” added Joe Biden, who plans to meet his G7 counterparts in the coming hours.
For his part, the French ambassador to the United Nations denounces “the contempt” of Russia for the organization, while that of Ukraine asks Moscow “to put an end to the war” . The NATO chief condemns a “reckless and unprovoked attack” by Russia. “Once again, despite our repeated warnings and tireless diplomatic efforts, Russia has chosen the path of aggression against a sovereign and independent country,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said. in a press release.
