(Paris) The invasion of Ukraine launched on Thursday by Russian President Vladimir has sparked a wave of condemnation, particularly in the West.
Posted at 8:24
Ukraine
“The world must compel Russia to peace,” said President Volodymyr Zelensky. Mr. Zelensky announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Moscow and accused Russia of having “attacked Ukraine in a cowardly and suicidal way as […] Nazi Germany during World War II.
United States
President Joe Biden has denounced Russia’s “unwarranted attack” on Ukraine, blaming Moscow for launching a “premeditated war that will cause catastrophic human suffering and loss”, for which Russia will be “responsible”.
UN
“President Putin, in the name of humanity, bring your troops back to Russia! launched the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, for whom this war “must stop now”. “This is the saddest moment of my mandate” at the head of the UN, he added
European Union
“We strongly condemn Russia’s unjustified attack on Ukraine,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel in a joint text denouncing an “unprovoked attack”.
The Twenty-Seven are preparing a new set of sanctions, the “toughest ever implemented” against Russia, which will force it “to an unprecedented isolation”, declared Josep Borrell, head of diplomacy of the EU.
China
China ‘understands Russia’s reasonable security concerns’, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said after Beijing called on ‘all parties to exercise restraint to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control. » .
France
President Emmanuel Macron “strongly condemned Russia’s decision to wage war on Ukraine” and urged Moscow to “immediately end its military operations”. “France stands in solidarity with Ukraine. It stands alongside the Ukrainians and works with its partners and allies to end the war,” he said.
The Quai d’Orsay condemned “the use of the territory of Belarus authorized by the regime [du président biélorusse Alexandre] Lukashenko to carry out this aggression against a sovereign country”
Germany
The Russian invasion is “a flagrant violation” of international law that “undermines peace” in Europe and threatens “the lives of countless innocent people”, said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose country says it is ready to ” help massively” its neighbours, in particular Poland, in the event of an influx of Ukrainian refugees.
UK
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the “horrific events in Ukraine”, a “catastrophe for the European continent”, deploring that Mr Putin had “chosen the path of bloodshed and destruction by launching this attack not provoked”.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Church of England Primate Justin Welby and the Archbishop of York have denounced the “horrific and unprovoked attack on Ukraine” as “an evil act” and said “pray for an urgent ceasefire”.
NATO
Atlantic Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg “strongly condemned Russia’s reckless and unprovoked attack on Ukraine”.
He announced the holding of a summit of NATO leaders by videoconference on Friday “to analyze the way forward” and the activation of “defence plans in order to be able to deploy the capacity of the reaction force where it will be necessary”.
Italy
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi called the Russian attack on Ukraine “unjustified and unjustifiable”, saying the European Union and NATO were working on an immediate response.
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe, an intergovernmental organization to which Russia adheres and which imposed sanctions on Moscow after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, “strongly” condemned the Russian military offensive in Ukraine as a “flagrant violation”. of its status and promised to take “quickly the necessary measures to respond to the current situation”, while calling on “the Russian authorities for an immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities”.
Turkey
“We reject this unacceptable operation”, which is “a blow to regional peace and stability”, declared Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country is a member of NATO and borders the Black Sea, like Russia.
Japan
The Russian attack in Ukraine “shakes the foundations of the international order”, denounced Japanese Prime Minister Fumion Kishida.
Australia
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison condemned Russia’s “illegal invasion” by announcing a “second round” of sanctions against Russian civilians and corporations.
Spain
Madrid “condemns Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian government and people”, tweeted the head of the Spanish government Pedro Sanchez.
Nordic countries
Finland and Sweden, non-NATO members, condemned the Russian attack, separately denouncing “an attack on the European security order”.
For its part, Norway, a member of the Atlantic Alliance, condemned a “serious violation of international law” and announced the move of its embassy from Kiev to Lviv, in the west of the country. Denmark has called February 24, 2022 a “stain in Russian history”.
Navalny
“I am against this war […] carried out to conceal the theft of Russian citizens and divert their attention from the problems […] inside the country,” imprisoned Russian opponent Alexei Navalny said at the hearing of a new trial against him.