BRUSSELS — Associated Press journalists in the cities of Odesa and Kharkiv were hearing explosions Thursday morning after Russian President Vladimir Putin defiantly announced he was launching a military operation in Ukraine. Putin is warning other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would “lead to the consequences you have never seen in history.”
Putin’s declaration came even as the U.N. Security Council was in an emergency meeting Wednesday night on the crisis, at Ukraine’s request. Putin urged Ukrainian servicemen to “immediately put down arms and go home.” In a stark warning to other countries, Putin said: “I have a few words for those who could feel tempted to interfere with ongoing developments. Whoever tries to impede us, let alone create threats for our country and its people, must know that the Russian response will be immediate and lead to the consequences you have never seen in history.
“Despite our repeated warnings and tireless efforts to engage in diplomacy, Russia has chosen the path of aggression against a sovereign and independent country,’’ the NATO leader said.Speaking in Russian, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gave an emotional address early Thursday, before Putin announced the start of the offensive on Zelenskyy’s country.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter that the West should target Putin where it hurts without delay. “Hit his economy and cronies. Hit more. Hit hard. Hit now,” Kuleba wrote. “This is the toughest sanctions regime we’ve ever put in place against Russia,” British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said of measures that target key banks that fund the Russian military and oligarchs. “But it will go further, if we see a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.”
Give ‘em hell Ukraine, make them bleed for every inch. They gave up Nukes in the 90s and we promised to help them… of course Russia was also part of that agreement before they went full-on Bond Villain. fuckPutin
I’d like to know if Ukrainian refugees will be settled in Chicago’s black neighborhoods in the name of promoting diversity and equity?
Europe will fight for their peace and NATO [Brothers in Arms] will protect each other in war. America promised as the strongest military power in the world we would protect them from Russia
It's not a conflict. It's an attack be Russia and its dictator.
Here are the things to know about Putin's conflict over Ukraine and the security crisis in Eastern Europe.
God be with the people of Ukraine. Amen