Western powers reacted swiftly to Monday’s decision by
Russian President Vladimir Putin to recognise the independence of the two
self-proclaimed republics in eastern Ukraine, condemning Moscow and calling for
sanctions.
Here is a summary of the responses so far:
Move ‘won’t go unanswered’: Biden, Macron, Scholz
The leaders of France, Germany and the United States condemned Putin’s move as a “clear breach” of the Minsk peace agreements.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf
Scholz and US President Joe Biden agreed that “this step will not go
unanswered”, the German chancellery said in a statement published following
their conversation.
United States announces sanctions
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted that Putin’s
decision required “a swift and firm response, and we will take appropriate
steps in coordination with partners”.
The United States announced financial sanctions against the
rebel territories freshly recognized by Russia in eastern Ukraine and warned
that more were ready if necessary.
United Nations condemns ‘violation’
UN chief Antonio Guterres said Russia’s decision amounted to
“a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and
inconsistent with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations”.
France calls for emergency UN meeting
French President Emmanuel Macron, who was still pressing for
a diplomatic settlement earlier Monday, called for targeted European Union
sanctions against Moscow.
“He is demanding an emergency meeting of the UN Security
Council as well as the adoption of targeted European sanctions,” said a
statement from his office.
UK prepares ‘robust’ sanctions
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson denounced Putin’s decision
as “a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine”.
A “very robust package of sanctions” would be triggered
“with the first toecap of a Russian incursion or Russian invasion”, he added.
Germany says Moscow ‘breaking all its promises’
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that Moscow
was breaking the Minsk peace agreements that it signed in 2014.
“With its decision, Russia is breaking all its promises to
the world community,” she said.
NATO says Russia seeks ‘pretext to invade Ukraine’
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Putin’s decision “further
undermines Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, erodes efforts
towards a resolution of the conflict, and violates the Minsk Agreements, to
which Russia is a party.
“Moscow continues to fuel the conflict in eastern Ukraine by
providing financial and military support to the separatists. It is also trying
to stage a pretext to invade Ukraine once again,” he added.
EU vows unified response
Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel, the European
Union’s two most senior figures, posted identical statements on Twitter.
Condemning Putin’s move as “a blatant violation of
international law”, they added: “The EU and its partners will react with unity,
firmness and with determination in solidarity with Ukraine.”
Serbia fears crisis could spread
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said there are fears that
the Ukraine crisis “could spread in other parts of Europe and the world,
especially on the Western Balkans”.
Romania travel warning
Romania’s foreign ministry tells all its nationals in
Ukraine to “leave the country immediately!”
AFP
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com