Russia declares war on Ukraine, explosions begin

Feb. 24: Weeks of intense diplomacy to avert war and the imposition of Western sanctions on Russia failed to deter Putin. Finally, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine on Thursday. Russia had massed between 150,000 and 200,000 troops along the borders of Ukraine.

In a televised address, Putin accused the US and its allies of ignoring Russia’s demand to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO and offer Moscow security guarantees. As Putin spoke, big explosions were heard in Kyiv, Kharkiv and other areas of Ukraine.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed Russian President Vladimir Putin to not send Russian troops against Ukraine and “give peace a chance”. At the United Nations, Ukraine called on the world body “to do everything possible to stop the war”.

US President Biden immediately warned of “consequences” for Russia and said the world would “hold Russia accountable” for its actions. The US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, warned that an all-out Russian invasion could displace five million people, triggering a new European refugee crisis.

Speaking to journalists, Putin on Tuesday set out a number of stringent conditions if the West wanted to de-escalate the crisis, saying Ukraine should drop its NATO ambition and become neutral.

Russian aggression on its border with Ukraine has triggered one of the greatest security crises in Europe since the Cold War. In 2014, Russia had seized Crimea, an important port region in Ukraine. Conflicts between the two militaries continue till this day. Moscow has denied that it is planning a military intervention, but it has presented NATO with a list of security demands including banning Ukraine and other former Soviet states from joining the organisation.