What Other Countries Are Doing or Saying After Russia Started Invading Ukraine

By
Chloe Tan
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The world watched in horror as Russian troops invaded Ukraine after months of lining the border. And now, everyone is reacting.

Here’s a compilation of what other countries are doing or saying after Russia started invading Ukraine, simplified for you.

Putin: “Face Consequences Greater Than Any You Have Faced In History” 

Before we dive into what other countries are saying and doing, let’s see what the two main countries have to say first.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had warned other countries against intervening in the conflict.

“To anyone who would consider interfering from the outside: if you do, you will face consequences greater than any you have faced in history.”

That sounds like it could be part of a villain’s monologue in a superhero movie. But the hero that is (arguably) the most involved in this, the United States of America, said that they have “no idea” what Putin’s threat meant.

However, US President Joe Biden said that Putin wants more than just Ukraine. Biden claims that Putin “wants to reestablish the Soviet Union”.

That’s one way of interpreting his words, but let’s not dwell on even further possibilities. What is Ukraine’s response to this?

“There Is No Purgatory for War Criminals”, Says Ukrainian to Russian Envoy

In an emergency United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UN demanded Russia to step down as UNSC’s chair. He also asked them to “Call Putin. Call Lavrov to stop aggression.” (FYI, Sergey Lavrov is Russia’s foreign minister.)

As the meeting ended, Ukraine’s ambassador told the Russian envoy, “There is no purgatory for war criminals. They go straight to hell, ambassador.”

Yes, these sound like great lines for a movie. But unfortunately, the unfolding war is our reality.

Majority Issued Statements Condemning Russia’s Actions

As expected, most countries have issued statements condemning Russia’s actions.

You probably don’t want to read tens of statements all saying the same thing in slightly different ways, so here’s the TLDR (too long, didn’t read):

Most countries condemned Russia’s actions, and call on Russia to cease their military action immediately. Many countries also added that they will stand with Ukraine through this crisis.

Russia’s actions have already breached international law in its disregard for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The general consensus is that Russia’s actions were largely unprovoked and that this war would put civilian lives at risk.

Other than individual countries, many multilateral organisations have also stepped up to make their stance.

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United Nation’s Call For Peace

The United Nations, which boasts 193 member states, has always been a strong advocate for peace.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned Russia’s actions and straight-up told Putin to “bring your troops back to Russia” and to “give peace a chance.”

“In the name of humanity, do not allow a war to start in Europe which could be worst war since the beginning of the century with consequences not only devastating for Ukraine, not only tragic for the Russian Federation but with an impact cannot even foresee.”

The UN’s health agency, the World Health Organisation, has also voiced their concern for the “safety, health and wellbeing” of the civilians affected by the war.

European Union Will Hold Moscow Accountable

The 27 members of the European Union will hold Moscow accountable for the “unjustified” invasion of Ukraine.

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The chief of EU’s Executive Committee, Ursula von der Leyen, said on Twitter, “In these dark hours, our thoughts are with Ukraine and the innocent women, men and children as they face this unprovoked attack and fear for their lives.”

The EU has already put in place sanctions that targeted Kremlin officials, lawmakers and banks. They’ve also restricted Russia’s access to EU’s financial and capital markets.

The EU will be discussing further sanctions on Russia soon, which will “seriously degrade” Russia’s economy. This includes freezing Russian assets in the EU, and stopping access of Russian banks to the European financial market.

NATO Deploying Forces and Put Warplanes On High Alert

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is a military alliance between 28 European countries and 2 North American countries.

NATO’s secretary-general said that Russia had “chosen the path of aggression against a sovereign and independent country.”

This is a serious breach of international law, and also a threat to Euro-Atlantic security.

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An emergency meeting of NATO ambassadors has decided that the alliance will deploy forces on its territory, and have put over 100 warplanes on high alert. The NATO leaders will hold a virtual summit on 25 February for further discussions.

G7 Strongly Condemns Russia’s Actions: “He Has Put Himself On The Wrong Side Of History”

The Group of Seven is an organisation consisting of the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan.

In a joint statement released by Germany, the G7 leaders said that this war is a severe threat to “the rules-based international order”, with consequences that could spread well beyond Europe.

The leaders added that Putin had just re-introduced war to the European continent, saying “He has put himself on the wrong side of history.”

The G7 will bring forth severe and coordinated economic and financial sanctions against Moscow, and are ready to act to address any potential energy disruptions.

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ASEAN’s Call For Diplomacy

Even though ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) has not yet released a joint statement, the individual countries have condemned Russia’s actions and called for diplomacy, not war.

This is in accordance with the ASEAN Way, which prizes conflict resolution through diplomacy above all.

Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia, the ASEAN chair this year, said that although Southeast Asia is far away, such international issues are nonetheless concerning.

After discussions with the Malaysian Prime Minister, Mr Hun Sen told the media that they wish to see a peaceful solution.

Indonesia has also shown concern over the escalating conflict and condemned any action that violates state territory and integrity. It also reaffirmed that all parties should prioritise diplomacy and negotiation to end conflicts.

Vietnam’s foreign ministry has also called on relevant parties to step up dialogue efforts and exercise self-restraint.

Meanwhile, the Philippine and Thai governments are conducting repatriation efforts for their citizens currently living in Ukraine.

Singapore has also expressed strong condemnation of Russia’s unprovoked invasion, and hope military actions will cease immediately. Our government has also called for a peaceful settlement of the dispute.

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Possible Sanctions Against Russia, But Will They Work?

Other than the EU’s sanctions against Russia, several other organisations and countries may also impose sanctions soon.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that the United Kingdom and its allies had agreed on a package of economic sanctions to “hobble the Russian economy”. This includes plans to cease dependence on Russian oil and gas.

US President Biden also said that the US will introduce a new set of sanctions, in an effort to isolate Russia from the global economy. Sanctions by the G7 is also in the works.

Sanctions mainly work by putting pressure on Russia economically, and many sanctions target the rich and powerful in Putin’s inner circle of supporters. However, sanctions won’t stop the rich from getting money in and out of the country as there are always workarounds.

In fact, Russia has been subjected to sanctions since at least 2014’s annexation of Crimea. But they don’t have the best track record in terms of effectiveness, and experts are pessimistic that sanctions will work this time around.

China Refuses To Call This An Invasion, Says Russia Has Legitimate Security Concerns

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson has avoided any criticism of Russia.

“Unlike the U.S., which keeps sending weapons to Ukraine, creating fear and panic and even playing up the threat of war, China has been calling on all parties to respect and pay attention to each other’s legitimate security concerns… All parties should work for peace instead of escalating the tension or hyping up the possibility of war.”

So basically, instead of calling it an invasion, China labels it as “legitimate security concerns”. Highly questionable, but at least they’re advocating for peace, right…?

Oh, wait. China announced that it was open to wheat imports from Russia, which could soften the blow of Western sanctions. Nevermind.

Little Possibility Of Other Countries’ Troops Coming To Help Either Side, But Humanitarian Aid Remains Plausible

Other than NATO’s troops, the US has also authorised additional troops to be stationed in Germany to help NATO bolster Europe’s defences.

However, Biden had reiterated that US troops will not be fighting for Ukraine, but rather to defend NATO’s allies.

So no, NATO and the US’ troops are not going to help Ukraine. And there is little possibility of other countries sending in troops to help either side out.

However, humanitarian aid still remains possible. The UN has said that it will free up to $20 million in humanitarian aid for Ukraine.

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Anti-War Protests in Russia Faced Crackdown

Back in Russia, there have been reports of at least 1,728 activists being detained, and anti-war protests in Russia are facing police crackdowns.

There were protests in 53 cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg. There’s been videos on social media showing the extent of the protests, such as the hundreds of people in the streets of St. Peterburg:

There are also photos of heavily armed police cracking down at protestors:

It is clear that nobody wants war, not even the Russians themselves.

But Putin is still determined to carry out the invasion, vowing a “demilitarization and de-Nazification of Ukraine.” And it seems like the rest of the world is unable to do anything substantial enough to stop him in his tracks.

To know why Russia has invaded Ukraine, you might want to watch this to the end:

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Featured Image: Shutterstock / helloRuby

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Chloe Tan
Email: [email protected]