Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Moscow/Washington/Kyiv/Beijing/Geneva/New York: Asreports emerged of Russian military strikes near major cities with significant populations, including Kharkiv, Kramatorsk, Odesa, Mariupol and the capital, Kyiv, the US President Joe Biden said he briefed Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the steps America was taking to rally international condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“He [Zelenskyy] asked me to call on the leaders of the world to speak out clearly against President Putin’s flagrant aggression, and to stand with the people of Ukraine,” Biden said. He told Zelenskyy that he would be meeting with the Leaders of the G7, and that the United States and its Allies and partners would impose severe sanctions on Russia. “We will continue to provide support and assistance to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people,” Biden said.
Later, Biden and G7 Leaders reaffirmed their resolve to respond swiftly to President Putin’s “unprovoked and unjustified” attack on Ukraine and expressed their solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
“The Leaders built on their months-long coordination and agreed to move forward on devastating packages of sanctions and other economic measures to hold Russia to account. The G7 makes up the world’s leading democracies and 50% of the world’s economy—and the costs the G7 will impose together on Russia will be unprecedented. As a result of Putin’s choices, Russia will now face immediate and intense pressure on its economy and massive costs from its isolation from the global financial system, global trade, and cutting-edge technology,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, informed in Washington DC today. She said the leaders also agreed to intensify ongoing efforts to mitigate any spillover effects from Russia’s actions and to secure stability in global energy markets.
During the meeting, President Biden conveyed his thanks to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for bringing all the Leaders together in this critical moment.
Meanwhile, the EU assured Ukraine of imposing tough sanctions on Russia within 24 hours.
In Kyiv, Zelenskyy today supported the proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine regarding the severance of diplomatic relations between Ukraine and the Russian Federation. At the request of the Head of State, Ukraine’s MFA has initiated the procedure to sever diplomatic relations in accordance with the norms established by international law.
“Our country took this step in response to acts of military aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the invasion of Russian Armed Forces to destroy the Ukrainian state and the seizure by force of Ukrainian territories with the intent of establishing occupation control. We emphasize that the Russian offensive operation is an attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, a gross violation of the UN Charter, and the established norms and principles of international law,” Ukraine’s MFA stated. It though said Ukraine was maintaining consular functions despite severing ties with Russia, in accordance with Article 2 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations from 1963. “We will continue to defend the rights and interests of Ukrainians in Russia, including Ukrainian political prisoners. The MFA also has recalled to Kyiv the Charge d’affaires of Ukraine in Russia, Vasyl Pokotylo, for consultations,” it said. The MFA has also commenced the evacuation of Ukraine’s Embassy in Moscow. Ukrainian Consulates on the territory of the Russian Federation are operating in their routine capacities, for the time being, it said.
Incidentally, Russia stated in its special military operation in Ukraine, its armed forces will not conduct any missile or artillery strikes on any Ukrainian city.
In Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, however, today said she was deeply alarmed about the Russian Federation’s military attack against Ukraine.
“Civilians in various parts of Ukraine were awoken by sounds of heavy bombardment and are terrified of further escalation, with many fleeing their homes,” Bachelet said. “This military action clearly violates international law and puts at risk countless civilian lives. It must be immediately halted.”
UNICEF expressed its deep concerns over the intensifying hostilities in Ukraine that posed an immediate threat to the lives and wellbeing of the country’s 7.5 million children. “Heavy weapons fire along the line of contact has already damaged critical water infrastructure and education facilities in recent days. Unless the fighting subsides, tens of thousands of families could be displaced, dramatically escalating humanitarian needs,” it stated.
China, whose growing relationship with Russia is seen by the US as “concerning”, meanwhile, called for peace in Ukraine and stated it did not want to see the situation in Ukraine evolve to what it is today. It called on “all parties” to ease tension through dialogue and exercise restraint.
Responding to a call by the US State Department spokesperson Ned Price that China should respect the principle of state sovereignty and territorial integrity and that China has an obligation to urge Russia to “back down”, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters in Beijing today hit back, asking, “Is China a party directly concerned? Who is the one that started the fire, fanned the flame and added fuel to it?”
Chunying further hit back on Price saying, “when it comes to respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity, I’m afraid the US is in no position to tell China off”.
She added: “If we look at the US, during its nearly 250 years of history, there were only 20 years when it was not conducting military operations overseas. The pretexts it used can be democracy or human rights or simply a test tube of laundry powder or even fake news. Such a country’s understanding of respect for state sovereignty and territorial integrity is definitely different from ours. The international community can see this very clearly.”
The Ukraine issue needs to be resolved by the parties directly concerned through negotiations, Chunying said. Responding to Price’s accusation that China was trying to use its influence on Russia to create a world order both want, she said, “Russia is an independent major power and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. It makes foreign policy decisions independently. China’s position is very clear. On regional hotspot issues, we consistently call for peaceful resolution through dialogue, consultation and negotiation.”
She said that the US side suggests that Russia acted with complicit Chinese support. “I don’t believe Russia would be too pleased to hear that. Russia is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and an independent major power. It is fully capable of formulating and implementing its diplomatic strategy independently based on its judgement and national interests.”
Chunying stressed that China-Russia relations “are based on the foundation of non-alliance, non-confrontation and non-targeting of any third party. This differs fundamentally and essentially from the practice of the US, which is, ganging up to form small cliques and pursuing bloc politics to create confrontation and division based on ideology”. She stated that China “has no interest in the friend-or-enemy dichotomous Cold War thinking and the patchwork of so-called allies and small cliques and has no intention to follow such a path”. She also said that China and Russia aimed to strengthen strategic communication and coordination, firmly uphold the international system with the UN’s central coordinating role in international affairs, and firmly safeguard the international order based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law. “This shows exactly that China and Russia are acting responsibly and being a positive factor for international strategic security and stability,” she claimed.
To a specific question on whether China provided Russia with any military equipment, or did it plan on providing any military or otherwise support for Russia during this conflict, Chunying replied that on this issue, there was a fundamental difference between China and the US. “When we see the risk of conflict, we won’t do the same as the US, who has offered Ukraine with a large amount of military equipment. I believe that as a strong country, Russia doesn’t need China or other countries to provide weapons to it”.
– global bihari bureau
