Ap, Afp, Sputnik, Reuters and Europa Press
Newspaper La Jornada
Thursday, February 24, 2022, p. 5
Washington. US President Joe Biden last night condemned the unprovoked and unjustified attack
of Russia against Ukraine, charged that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, chose a premeditated war
, and promised that there will be a response from the United States and its allies. Hours earlier, his administration ruled out sending troops to the former Soviet republic in the event of an invasion.
Russia bears sole responsibility for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its allies will respond unitedly and decisively.
he said in his first reaction to the military operation ordered by Putin in the Donbas region, eastern Ukraine, a country that does not belong to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
He later tweeted: The prayers of the world are with the people of Ukraine tonight as they suffer an unprovoked and unwarranted attack by Russian military forces. President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring catastrophic loss of life and human suffering.
and promised to continue supporting Ukraine.
President Putin, in the name of humanity, withdraw your troops from Russia, in the name of humanity, do not allow what could be the worst war since the beginning of the century to start in Europe
cried the Secretary General of the United Nations Organization (UN), Antonio Guterres, in a session convened urgently last night and in which it was learned that Putin had given the order for the military operation in the people’s republics of Donietsk and Lugansk, in the east of Ukraine.
Guterres, whose administration began in 2017, said that this is the saddest moment of my tenure
. Minutes before the offensive was announced, he asked: President Putin, stop your troops from attacking Ukraine, give peace a chance
.
At the same meeting, the second organized in three days, the US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, made a similar request to the Russian president.
Return your troops, your tanks, your planes to Russia!
then demanded the diplomat. Avoid the abyss before it’s too late
he added.
With the operation underway, Thomas-Greenfield asserted that this is a serious emergency; the Council will need to act, and we will put a resolution on the table tomorrow (this Thursday)
.
The Russian representative, Vasily Nebenzya, reported on the military operation and invoked, as Putin did in his announcement, article 51 of the UN Charter, which allows the self defense
and argued that the goal is the junta in power in Kiev
.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg demanded that the Russian Federation immediately cease its military action and respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine
and stated that Allies will meet to address the consequences of Russia’s aggressive actions. The alliance will do everything in its power to protect and defend member countries
.
The British government and members of the European Union joined the condemnations.
Hours earlier, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki clarified that we are not going to be in a war with Russia or put military troops in Ukraine to fight
while Pentagon spokesman John Kirby asserted that Washington has no plans to increase the permanent military presence on NATO’s eastern flank, explaining that what we are talking about now is temporary and short-term redeployments (of troops)
.
There is no expectation at this time that we will have a more permanent presence on NATO’s eastern flank.
had reported.
Before the invasion, Chinese Foreign Minister Hua Chuanying declared that Unlike the United States, which continues to send weapons to Ukraine, creating fear and panic and playing even on the threat of war, China has been asking all parties to respect and pay attention to each other’s legitimate security concerns, to work together to solve problems through negotiations and consultations, and to maintain regional peace and stability
.
