Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a “special military operation” in Ukraine in a speech that appeared to serve as a declaration of war.
State of play: Russian troops have already begun to move into eastern Ukraine, and large explosions were reported by journalists in Kyiv and other cities immediately after Putin’s speech.
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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted that a “full-scale invasion” is now underway: “Peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes. This is a war of aggression. Ukraine will defend itself and will win. The world can and must stop Putin. The time to act is now.”
What he’s saying: Putin said the military operation would be intended to “demilitarize and de-nazify Ukraine,” but not to occupy it. That message appeared to be aimed not at the separatist republics where Putin has already deployed troops, but to the country as a whole and its leaders in Kyiv.
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“To anyone who would consider interfering from the outside: if you do, you will face consequences greater than any you have faced in history. All relevant decisions have been taken. I hope you hear me,” Putin said.
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Putin called on Ukrainian forces to lay down their arms, and claimed “all responsibility for possible bloodshed” would fall on the government in Kyiv.
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Putin’s claims that Ukrainian forces somehow provoked the conflict come despite the fact that Russia has built up a force of over 150,000 troops on Ukraine’s borders over several months. He argued in an hour-long speech on Monday that Ukraine has no right to exist as an independent country.
President Biden quickly issued a statement saying, “The prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine tonight as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces.”
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As Putin was speaking, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield was addressing an emergency session of the UN Security Council. In a bizarre split-screen, several countries then made urgent appeals to prevent a war that Putin had already declared. China’s representative did not criticize Russia.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an address of his own on Thursday night, speaking to the Russian people directly to plead for peace but warn that if Russia attacks, “you will see our faces, not our backs.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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