Vladimir Putin attacked Ukraine — including the capital, Kyiv — in an overnight barrage that was swifter and broader than many experts expected. But it was exactly in line with President Biden’s dire forecasts.
Why it matters: The world is waking up to a new era of global upheaval. Two sovereign nations are in a conventional war in Europe for the first time since World War II, with huge ramifications for the power dynamics of Russia and the superpowers, the U.S. and China.
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Between the lines: It turns out Putin’s buildup was no feint. And the warnings from the White House were spot on.
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President Biden said after the invasion began that Putin’s “premeditated war … will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering.”
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U.S. intelligence had warned a large-scale invasion “could leave up to 50,000 civilians killed or wounded, decapitate the government in Kyiv within two days, and launch a humanitarian crisis with up to 5 million refugees fleeing the resulting chaos,” The Washington Post reported Feb. 5.
Driving the news: Ukraine has severed diplomatic relations with Russia and is calling on all citizens to take up arms to defend the country against a full-scale invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Thursday.
What’s happening: Ukraine came under a massive aerial assault in the early hours of Thursday, after Putin declared a “special military operation” initially aimed at the eastern Donbas region, where he recently recognized separatist-backed “republics” fighting the Ukrainian government
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It quickly became clear that the “operation” was a full-scale attack on the entire country, as explosions were reported across Ukrainian cities moments after Putin finished speaking.
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Russian troops were confirmed to have crossed the Ukrainian border from multiple directions and had reached the outskirts of Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, the New York Times reported.
What they’re saying: “Russia treacherously attacked our state in the morning, as Nazi Germany did in World War II years,” Zelensky tweeted.
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“As of today, our countries are on different sides of world history. Russia has embarked on a path of evil, but Ukraine is defending itself and won’t give up its freedom no matter what Moscow thinks.”
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“We will lift sanctions on all citizens of Ukraine who are ready to defend our country as part of territorial defense with weapons in hands.”
Between the lines: It turns out Putin’s buildup was no feint. And the warnings from the White House were spot on.
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