Russian president Vladimir Putin announced early Thursday morning local time that his government has resolved “to launch a special military operation” aimed at the “demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine,” heralding the start of a land war on the European continent.
Threatening those who might oppose his efforts to either outright annex parts of Ukraine, or install Ukrainian leaders with pro-Russian bents, Putin warned that “those who would be tempted to intervene . . . will have consequences that you never have had before in your history.” Putin’s reference to denazification would seem to echo his address two days earlier, in which he officially recognized portions of Ukraine as “independent republics,” purportedly in response to what he baselessly characterized as an active genocide taking place against Russian-speaking people in those regions. The governments of Ukraine and the United States, among others, have vigorously disputed these allegations.
Putin’s address has been followed by unconfirmed reports of explosions across Ukraine, including in its capital city of Kyiv.
In an address delivered earlier on Thursday evening, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky declared that “the government of Ukraine wants peace. It’s doing everything it can. We’re not alone. That’s true, lots of countries support Ukraine. Because this isn’t about peace at any price. It’s about peace, principles, justice, international law, the right to determine your own future.”
The White House released a statement following Putin’s de facto declaration of war asserting that “the prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine tonight as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces.”
“Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way,” it continued.
Source: National Review
