| Amid clamour for peace and harmony from across the globe including best efforts put in by the UN, who sat twice in three days to create pressure on seemingly recalcitrant Russia, its President Vladimir Putin, on Thursday, announced a military operation against Ukraine, saying- ‘I have made the decision of a military operation,’ throwing the world on the tenterhooks.Russia in its part, put out the reason for the aggression too, arguing the rebel leaders in Ukraine sought support against what has been said as an aggression from the Ukrainian armed forces. However, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said he tried to reach out to his Russian counterpart with a request against any bloodshed, which went unheeded.On his part, Putin has said that Ukraine will be responsible for any bloodshed as his plan of a special military operation doesn’t include occupying any part of Ukranian territory. Elaborating his actions and intents, Putin said that his acts are just aimed at demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine. He also called on Ukrainian soldiers to lay down their arms.However, explosions are heard in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital and other parts of the country. Putin’s action has also caused outrage from across the globe with US President Joe Biden warning of a catastrophic loss of life in the region, furthering he is monitoring the situations and will be meeting his G7 counterparts in the morning and coordinate with his NATO allies.The conflict between Russia and Ukraine got conflagrated when Putin, in a televised address on February 2022, recognized independence of two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, inviting strong reactions from several countries. Earlier, Putin had also said that the troops stationed in eastern Ukraine, are on a peacekeeping mission. Russia also claimed that five saboteurs from Ukraine, crossed into Russia, were killed, however Ukraine had denied that.Earlier, the representatives from Russia and Ukraine also sparred at the second UN emergency meeting in three days, with Russian representative claiming that Ukraine is continuously working on its military build-up along the line of disengagement, which is destabilizing life in the region.Amid growing tensions between the two countries, in an emotional address and appeal to Russia, Ukrainian President Zelensky, said that his country can’t be a threat to his neighbouring country Russia, saying we want peace, people want peace, but there was no answer, only silence from the Russian side.Meanwhile, support for Ukraine has grown with even China, speaking for Ukraine’s sovereignty.The USA along with the European Union has already imposed several sanctions against Russia, saying Russia and China are trying to create a intensely illiberal world order. Many more sanctions are expected to be imposed in the days to come. |
