Peter Dutton called Chinese President Xi Jinping the only man who could reign in the “crazy” Vladimir Putin while Russia invades Ukraine.

In a series of interviews on Friday, the defense minister urged the Chinese leader not to put pressure on Putin.

President Putin launched a large-scale invasion on Thursday, describing it as a “special military operation” to, he said, “denationalize” Ukraine.

Mr Dutton described the scenes in Ukraine as appalling and called on the rest of the world to unite to condemn and put pressure on Putin through sanctions.

Peter Dutton calls on Chinese President Xi Jinping (pictured) to put pressure on Vladimir Putin after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

He warned that there would be tragic consequences in Ukraine in the coming weeks unless his president intervened.

“This is the human reality of the actions of a president who does not want and has not listened to the rest of the world,” he told the Today Show.

Mr Dutton also described Putin as dangerously insane in a separate interview with Kyle and Jackie O.

“We’re dealing with someone here who’s crazy, no doubt, so the world has to be disproportionate,” he said.

“Unfortunately, Ukrainians are right in the eye of the storm now, and His President is the only person who can put pressure on him and turn him around in this terrible mess.”

He warned that there would be economic consequences for the rest of the world.

Defense Minister Peter Dutton (pictured) said Chinese President Xi Jinping should rule Vladimir Putin. Putin’s Russia is economically dependent on China

“There will be economic consequences for the rest of the world, but this is a very uncertain period in which we live and the world has stood united against President Putin’s actions, with the exception of the Chinese government. That is completely unacceptable, “Mr Dutton said.

Asked why no more is being done to help Ukraine, Mr Dutton said the rest of the world does not want tensions to escalate in a nuclear war.

“Forces may be sent, and then you will say, ‘Why did we go to nuclear war?’ ‘ he said.

A Russian tank opened fire during military exercises recently before the invasion of Ukraine

“We have proposed with the rest of the world very strong sanctions against Putin. Frankly, there is one leader in the world who can put pressure on President Putin. This is His President.

“China and Russia have entered into this blatantly wicked alliance, and his president has a lot of power that he can exercise over President Putin.

“He chose not to do that. The world must watch this very closely. ‘

Mr Dutton confirmed in a later interview that Australia had no plans to send troops to Ukraine.

What Putin REALLY thinks about Australia: Russian leader’s brutal response to journalist’s question years before Russia went to war with Ukraine

 By Aidan Wondracz and Charlie Moore for Daily Mail Australia

Vladimir Putin acknowledged that he “never thinks about Australia” years before Scott Morrison imposed additional sanctions on Russia for launching an invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian president made a brutal confession during a visit to Australia during the 2007 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Australian economist Tim Harcourt revealed on Twitter on Thursday that he had asked Putin about his first impressions of the country.

– What do you think about Australia? he asked. “Is that what you expected?”

Mr Harcourt tweeted that he had received a very dumb and surprising response from the visiting president.

“I never think about Australia,” Putin said.

His comment on the country does not appear to affect the then-Prime Minister John Howard stage, as he signed a uranium deal after the APEC summit. At the time, Putin agreed to buy Australian uranium to use for his nuclear reactors.

His thoughts on Australia came to light after Mr Morrison condemned the invasion of Ukraine as “brutal and unprovoked” and imposed additional sanctions.

Russia’s president makes a brutal confession while visiting Australia during the 2007 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit (pictured by Putin and then-Prime Minister John Howard at the 2007 APEC summit)

Vladimir Putin has admitted that he “never thinks about Australia” years before Scott Morrison imposed additional sanctions on Russia for launching an invasion of Ukraine (pictured, vehicle destroyed and wreckage in Mariupol, Ukraine)

His thoughts on Australia came to light after Mr Morrison condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “brutal and unprovoked” and imposed additional sanctions

Australian economist Tim Harcourt took to Twitter on Thursday to reveal that he had asked Putin about his first impressions of the country.

The prime minister said Russian special forces were moving toward the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, and tanks were circulating all around their borders.

He said there were 1,400 Australians in Ukraine and called on them to leave if it was safe to do so.

After recruiting troops in November, President Putin announced his invasion on Thursday morning, describing it as a “special military operation” and saying he wanted to “demilitarize” rather than occupy Ukraine.

Within hours, Ukraine’s interior ministry said there were hundreds of casualties – although Russia insisted early Thursday morning that it was attacking only military sites and avoiding settlements.

Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, which disintegrated in 1991, and President Putin wants to prevent its pro-European government from joining NATO’s anti-Russian alliance.

Prime Minister Morrison said Russia had not called the move a “special military operation”.

“They said that after months of aggression and intimidation,” he said.

“But I will call it what it is. The Russian government has launched a brutal, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and must be condemned for it.”

“Together with the international community, we unite strongly to condemn these outrageous acts in the strictest possible terms.

“The footage of rocket attacks, air raid sirens and reports of hundreds of casualties – still unconfirmed – is unfortunately not surprising given the events we have been witnessing for some time and which we are warning about.

After recruiting troops in November, President Putin announced his invasion Thursday morning, describing it as a “special military operation” and saying he wanted to “demilitarize” rather than occupy Ukraine. “In Kharkiv)

Explosions are seen in the early hours of Thursday in Kharkiv, in eastern Ukraine, after Putin made his declaration

“But although these events continue to happen, we call on the Russian government to withdraw and return Ukraine to a peaceful situation.”

Mr Morrison said the invasion was “of great concern” to all Australians, especially 40,000 Australians of Ukrainian descent.

He announced that the “second stage” of sanctions would begin in line with Western allies. On Wednesday night, the prime minister imposed a travel ban and financial restrictions on eight members of Russia’s Security Council, which take effect at midnight.

The sanctions will now affect another 25 people, including army commanders, deputy defense ministers and Russian mercenaries, who are “responsible for the unprovoked and unacceptable invasion and for those involved in the sale and development of military technology,” he said.

More than 300 members of the Russian parliament who supported the invasion will also face sanctions.

The prime minister warned that Russia could retaliate with cyber attacks against Australia, but so far none has been taken. Australia helps Ukraine with cyber experts, but rules out sending troops.

Assistant Secretary of Defense Andrew Hasty said Australia had “offensive cyber capabilities”, but did not say whether it would use them against Russia.

Putin recognized two areas in eastern Ukraine as independent and allowed Russian troops to carry out “peacekeeping” missions. The rebels already hold part of this territory (in red), but Putin recognized a much wider region (yellow)

Scott Morrison releases statement condemning Russia

Australia joins our partners in condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

There is no excuse for this aggression, the cost of which will be borne by innocent Ukrainians.

Vladimir Putin has come up with a weak pretext to invade. Russia’s disinformation and propaganda have not convinced anyone.

We call on Russia to stop its illegal and unprovoked actions and to stop violating Ukraine’s independence. Russia must repeal its violation of international law and the UN Charter and withdraw its troops from Ukraine.

We reaffirm our strong support for Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity – the basic principles of a rules-based world order.

The actions are of deep concern to Australians – especially those with family and friends there.

Australia will continue to play our part to ensure that Russia pays the high price for this invasion order.

We will impose financial sanctions on an additional 25 people and four entities responsible for the unprovoked and unacceptable aggression.

We will restrict Australians from investing in four more financial institutions.

We will work with countries with unanimity on further consequences for Russia.

The Australian Government will continue to work with our partners to keep Australians safe and to protect our values ​​and principles.

Labor leader Anthony Albanese also condemned the invasion, saying “Australia must unite with our allies, holding Russia accountable.”

This came when the Ukrainian military said its air defenses shot down five Russian planes and a helicopter in the early hours of Thursday in the eastern part of the country, near Kharkiv.

The National Border Force said the posts in the north had been attacked by both Russian and Belarusian forces – an extremely significant development, which means that Russia is not acting alone.

The live video of the invasion of Belarus was shot at the Senkivka checkpoint, Ukraine with Veselovka, Belarus. The column was seen entering Ukraine around 6:48 a.m. local time, CNN reported.

A spokesman for the Ukrainian government confirmed that Russia had also invaded the border with Belarus, just 120 miles from Kiev.

He said: “Ukraine’s state border has been attacked by Russian and Belarusian troops.

An explosion was seen in the early hours of Thursday in the Ukrainian city of Kharkov, when Russia launched its offensive

Kharkiv, with a population of 1.4 million, appears to have been attacked in the early hours of Thursday

“At around 5 am, the state border of Ukraine, in the area with the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, was attacked by Russian troops supported by Belarus.

“Attacks on border units, border patrols and checkpoints are carried out with artillery, heavy equipment and small arms.

“This is happening in the districts of Luhansk, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv and Zhytomyr.

A government spokesman added that Ukraine had been attacked by Crimea.

“The work of enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups is also being recorded,” the spokesman continued.

“Depending on the situation at the border, the border guards, together with the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard of Ukraine, fire on the enemy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky released a video message early Thursday urging Ukrainians to stay home and stay calm, telling them to believe in their country

“Information about the wounded among the border guards is being clarified.”

Earlier Thursday, the Russian president told Ukrainian troops “to lay down their arms and go home” while declaring war on Ukraine in an early morning address to the nation.

Putin said Russia could not exist with a “permanent threat from Ukrainian territory” and clashes between Russian and Ukrainian troops were “inevitable.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared martial law in the early hours of Thursday in a video address to the people, urging people to stay at home and stay strong. He said he had just spoken to Joe Biden.

‘We’re working. The army is working, “he said.

“Don’t panic.” We are strong. We are ready for anything. We will all win. Because we are Ukraine. ‘

To the right of the image, tanks can be seen crossing a border post between Ukraine and Belarus in the early hours of Thursday.

Unconfirmed reports say Russian forces have destroyed or made the Ukrainian fleet unusual and have taken control of Kiev’s Borispol airport.

Access to the Black and Azov Seas has been cut off.

More unconfirmed messages on Twitter appear to show a huge naval landing by Russian forces in the Black Sea port of Odessa, involving large landing ships and helicopters just before 6 a.m. local time.

President Joe Biden will address the nation at noon on Thursday and condemned Russia’s “unprovoked and unwarranted attack” on Wednesday night. He talks with the President of Ukraine.

Biden said in a statement: “President Putin has chosen a deliberate war that will bring catastrophic loss of life and human suffering.

“Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction that this attack will bring, and the United States and its allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia responsible. ‘

Biden said he would monitor the situation in Washington, D.C., and would continue to receive regular updates from his national security team.

The developments came as:

• Explosions were heard in Ukraine, with the capital Kiev under attack and the city’s main airport looking like a target, as well as a nearby military base.
• Reports say the port city of Odessa has come under attack, while another Black Sea port city, Mariupol, has come under heavy attack.
• Military attacks on Kharkiv have erupted in the Far East of Ukraine.
• The Ukrainian government has declared martial law and called on people to stay at home while the attack continues.
• Russia insisted in the early hours of Thursday that it was targeting military targets and avoiding populated areas, but Ukraine said it had hundreds of casualties.
• Joe Biden spoke with the President of Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday, after earlier through his ambassador to the UN expressed strong support for the country.

Vladimir Putin is pictured in the early hours of Thursday morning declaring war on Ukraine in what he called a “special military operation.”

President Joe Biden, pictured on Wednesday, condemned Putin’s invasion of Ukraine

Footage shared on social media in Odessa appears to indicate a landing attack

Biden announced that he would join his G7 counterparts on Thursday morning and address the country later Thursday to “announce the further consequences of the United States and its allies and partners, which will impose Russia. ”

“We will also coordinate with our NATO allies to provide a strong, unified response that deters any aggression against the Alliance. Tonight, Jill and I are praying for the brave and proud people of Ukraine, “the statement added.

The British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted early Thursday: “I am horrified by the horrific events in Ukraine and I spoke with President Zelensky to discuss the next steps. President Putin has chosen the path of bloodshed and destruction by launching this unprovoked attack on Ukraine.

The United Kingdom and our allies will respond decisively.

The metadata of the video of Putin’s declaration of war shows that it was recorded on Monday night, but broadcast early on Thursday.

At the time, some Russian officials denied any intention of invading.

Russia’s armed forces have not launched missiles, air strikes or artillery strikes on Ukrainian cities, the Moscow Defense Ministry told RIA Novosti.

The military infrastructure, air defense facilities, military airports and aviation of the Ukrainian army have been neutralized by high-precision weapons, they said.

Nothing threatens Ukraine’s civilian population, they say.

All flights have been canceled at Russian airports in Krasnodar, Sochi and Anapa, near the Black Sea.

Rostov also announced canceled flights.

Within minutes of Putin’s public address, explosions could be heard in the capital, Kiev, as well as the city of Kramatorsk in central Ukraine and south in Odessa.

Across Ukraine, cruise and ballistic missiles destroyed military infrastructure and strategically important facilities, according to unofficial Russian sources.

CNN reporter in the Ukrainian capital Kiev reports of explosions in the early hours of Thursday morning

Mariupol, on the Black Sea 50 miles from the Russian border, appears to have come under heavy attack. Occupying this strategic location will give the republics of Donbass access to the sea.

The moment that Ukraine and the rest of Europe had feared for months finally came shortly after 4:35 a.m. local time, when huge explosions were heard in Kiev and other cities across the country.

Terrified citizens rushed to bomb shelters, although no warnings were issued in the capital about air strikes – only frequent muffled missile strikes or air strikes breaking the silence before dawn.

In Kiev, people took refuge in bases, while the sounds of distant explosions became a constant background.

It is reported that within an hour Russian special forces and airborne troops are on the ground at Borispol airport in Kiev, amid fierce fighting.

A woman in the Ukrainian capital said: “I was awakened by a friend.

“I am in the center of Kiev.

I hear the sound of distant explosions and ambulance sirens.

At 7.05 am the first sirens for an air raid were heard in the center of Kiev.  

Chance, located on a balcony in the Ukrainian capital, quickly put on his protective hats

A CNN reporter in Kiev said he heard live bombings in the early hours of Thursday morning.

“I just heard a big bang right here behind me. I’ve never heard anything like it, “said Matthew Chance, a senior international correspondent for the network.

Chance said he heard between seven and eight explosions and quickly put on his bulletproof vest and hat as he continued to report from a balcony in the Ukrainian capital.

“There are big explosions.

“I can’t see them or explain what they are.

“But I will tell you that the United States has warned the Ukrainian authorities that there may be air and ground attacks throughout the country, including in the capital.

“I don’t know if this is happening now, but it is a remarkable coincidence that the explosions came just minutes after Putin delivered his speech,” Chance said.

“It simply came to our notice then. It was absolutely quiet.

‘This is the first time. It must be more than just a coincidence.

“I think it’s safe where I am. “I have a bulletproof vest,” Chance said before bending down to put on his protective gear.

He suggested that the explosions he heard in the Ukrainian capital were still some distance from the center.

“It was so quiet in Ukraine tonight before these explosions,” Chance said.

The blasts came minutes after Putin said Russia would conduct a military operation in eastern Ukraine.

Explosions were also heard from Ukraine in the Russian city of Belgorod.

Putin told the Russians: “I have decided to conduct a special military operation.

“Russia cannot exist with a constant threat coming from the territory of Ukraine.

You and I had no choice but to protect our people other than the one we use today.

This comes after explosions were heard near the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, as fears grew that it was underway.

Residents of the city, located in southeastern Ukraine, were woken up at 3:30 a.m. by explosions 30 miles from the Russian border.

Clouds of smoke appear to be rising in the night sky near Mariupol, but it has not been confirmed whether this was the result of shelling.

Earlier this week, Putin said he wanted to take over the port of the Sea of ​​Azov, Mariupol, which handles 50 percent of Ukraine’s steel and mineral exports.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the actions were a “grave breach of international law” and that the Allies would meet to deal with “renewed aggression”.

He said on Twitter: “I strongly condemn Russia’s # reckless attack on #Ukraine, which puts countless civilian lives at risk. This is a serious violation of international law and a serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security. # NATO allies will meet to deal with renewed Russian aggression. ‘

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss wrote on Twitter condemning the attack shortly after 4 am local time.

“I strongly condemn the horrific, unprovoked attack that President Putin has launched against the people of Ukraine,” she said.

We are with Ukraine and we will work with our international partners to respond to this horrific act of aggression.

The blasts came hours after the United States warned the Ukrainian government that Putin’s troops were “ready to go now” with an invasion of Ukraine, with 80 percent of Russian troops already gathered around the country to attack.

WAR IN UKRAINE: THE LASTEST

• Russia has said it does not want to negotiate with ukraine’s government until the military operation is complete
• It came after Zelenski called for a meeting with Putin to end the fighting
• Putin said he would be willing to send a team of negotiators to meet Zelenski – in Belarus to help with the invasion
• Russian president urged Ukrainian military to overthrow ‘regime’ in Kiev
• Chinese President Xi spoke to Putin by phone and called for a diplomatic solution to the fighting
• Ukraine says Russia has bombed 33 civilian sites in Kiev in the past 24 hours
• Two children reportedly killed in kiev bombing overnight
• Ukraine bans men aged 18 to 60 from leaving country to summon them to armed forces
• Zelenski allowed anyone of any age to join the armed forces and called on Europeans from other countries to come and join the battle
• Russia sends paratroopers to Chernobyl after taking over yesterday, Moscow says
• Ukraine reported “abnormal” levels of radiation at the plant amid fears that the nuclear repository had been breached during fighting, but Moscow said the readings were normal
• Russia claims to have destroyed 118 Ukrainian military sites in 30 hours of fighting
• Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised there will be more support in Ukraine in the coming days
• Johnson shared a phone call with Zelensky on Friday morning

Anger is growing today over the EU’s weak and divided attempts to sanction Russia over the invasion of Ukraine, as it was revealed that the Italian prime minister had requested and received an exemption for his country’s luxury goods industry.

Mario Draghi has been accused of prioritising luxury shoes over punishing Putin as EU countries have “disgraced themselves” with the failure to take a firm approach to sanctions against Russia.

They were accused of thwarting British and American efforts to kick Russia out of the world’s largest financial payment system.

Speaking to G7 leaders yesterday, Boris Johnson insisted on swift suspending Russia, which is used to carry out about half of its international trade.

But the move was kicked into the long grass because of resistance from a number of EU countries, US President Joe Biden has suggested.

Sources told the Telegraph today that Draghi had won the exemption for Italian luxury goods such as shoes and designer clothes, saying: “Obviously selling Gucci loafers to oligarchs is a bigger priority than fighting back against Putin.”

Polish politician Donald Tusk, who grew up behind the Iron Curtain, attacked Germany, Hungary and Italy for blocking Brussels from taking a hardline approach to Putin.

Mr Tusk, a former President of the European Council, tweeted: “In this war everything is real: the madness and cruelty of Putin, the Ukrainian casualties, the bombs falling on Kiev.

“Only your sanctions are pretended. Those EU governments that blocked difficult decisions (e.g. Germany, Hungary, Italy) disgraced themselves.

In addition, French Finance Minister Bruno le Mer said today that Swift’s option to cut Russia remains open, but he sees this only as a last resort.

Ukraine yesterday called on the West to trigger the move, with Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba warning that those who refuse will have “blood on their hands.”

Today, President Vladimir Zelenski demanded that more “pressure” be put on Russia as the capital Kiev was attacked.

Armed Forces Minister James Happy told MPs today: “I hope we can win the argument because it looks like a sanction that Russia will sit down and pay attention to.”

Mario Draghi has been accused of prioritising luxury shoes over punishing Putin as EU countries have “disgraced themselves” with the failure to take a firm approach to sanctions against Russia.

Sources told the Telegraph today that Draghi had won the exemption for Italian luxury goods such as shoes and designer clothes, saying: “Obviously selling Gucci loafers to oligarchs is a bigger priority than retaliating against Putin.”

Pedestrians walk past an exhibition of luxury gucci products, a division of Kering SA, in the windows of the GUM department store on Red Square in Moscow, Russia

Polish politician Donald Tusk, who grew up behind the iron curtain, attacked Germany, Hungary and Italy for blocking Brussels from taking a firm approach to Vladimir Putin

Speaking to G7 leaders yesterday, Boris Johnson insisted swift’s suspension of Russia, which is used to carry out about half of its international trade

Armed Forces Minister James Happy told MPs today: “I hope we can win the argument because it looks like a sanction that Russia will sit down and pay attention to.”

What is Swift?

Swift, or “The Company for Global Interbank Financial Telecommunication” is a secure messaging system that facilitates rapid cross-border payments, making international trade flow smooth.

Banks that connect to the system and establish relationships with other banks can use Swift messaging to make payments.

Messages are protected, so payment instructions are usually followed without questions. This allows banks to process large volumes of transactions quickly.

It has become a major financing mechanism for international trade. In 2020, about 38 million Swift messages were sent every day through the platform, according to the 2020 annual review.

Trillions of dollars are transferred every year using the system.

Swift, founded in the 1970s, is a cooperative of thousands of member institutions that use the service.

Based in Belgium, it makes a modest profit of $36 million in 2020.

If Swift shuts down Russian banks, it would restrict the country’s access to financial markets around the world.

Russian companies and individuals will find it more difficult to pay for imports and receive money for export, take out loans or invest abroad.

Russian banks could use other payment channels such as phones, messaging apps or email. This will allow Russian banks to make payments through banks in countries that have not imposed sanctions, but since the alternatives are likely to be less effective and secure, the volume of transactions may fall and costs may increase.

If Russian banks were cut off by Swift, exporters would find selling goods in Russia riskier and more expensive.

Russia is a big buyer of industrial goods. The Netherlands and Germany are the second and third largest trading partners, according to World Bank data, although Russia is not the top 10 export market for any of the countries.

Foreign buyers of Russian goods would also struggle, potentially prompting them to look for alternative suppliers.

But when it comes to Russian oil and gas, foreign buyers may find it difficult to find replacement suppliers.

Boris Johnson is expected to raise again the prospect of banning Russia from the Swift payment system with allies today, Downing Street said.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister was asked if the UK would push for the sanction and he said: “You will have heard the Prime Minister’s comments in the House of Representatives about this yesterday, we will continue to work with allies to try to cut Russia off swift.

“You will know that the Prime Minister raised this in his conversation with the G7 leaders yesterday, I expect him to raise it again at the NATO leaders’ meeting today.”

The spokesman would not be drawn on which countries opposed the proposal, but said: “We have set out why we want to ensure that we can do this, as the Prime Minister said yesterday, to ensure that we send a clear message to Vladimir Putin that his efforts will not succeed and to ensure that we can inflict a severe blow on the Russian economy.”

But Joe Biden last night pointed out that the opposition came from EU countries. Asked if Russia should be cut off from Swift, the US president said: “It’s always an option, but at the moment it’s not a position that the rest of Europe wants to take.”

French Finance Minister Bruno le Mer said today that France and its European allies are determined to do great damage to the Russian economy and punish Russia for Vladimir Putin’s “stupid decisions” with “mass and immediate sanctions.”

“We want to isolate Russia financially,” Le Mer said. “We want to sever all ties between Russia and the global financial system. We’re going to drain the financing of the Russian economy.

But as he hosted a meeting of EU counterparts in Paris on Friday to discuss the economic consequences, he said Swift’s removal of Moscow remained an option, but only as a last resort.

The Belgium-based Company for Global Interbank Financial Telecommunications (Swift) is a mechanism for making secure payments abroad and is widely used in international trade.

Mr Johnson is said to see Swift’s suspension of Russia as an essential step to ensure putin’s regime is in maximum economic pain from its invasion of Ukraine.

“The Prime Minister is very keen on this – he pushes it very hard,” one source said.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman later confirmed that Mr Johnson had formally put the issue to the table at the G7 meeting, but said there was only “an agreement that we need to talk more about it.”

Diplomatic sources say Germany and Italy are the main adversaries. Officials said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned that neither he nor the entire EU would support the move at this stage.

Diplomatic sources said opposition from Germany and Italy meant Swift’s ban would not be included in EU sanctions to be published today, although some Eastern European member states such as Lithuania are pushing hard to do so.

During a conversation with Mr. Scholz this week, the prime minister warned him that “the West’s inaction or inadequate response will have unthinkable consequences.”

But Joe Biden last night pointed out that the opposition came from EU countries. Asked if Russia should be cut off from Swift, the US president said: “It’s always an option, but at the moment it’s not a position that the rest of Europe wants to take”

European concerns are said to be directed at potential damage to their own economies if they cannot buy Russian gas through the system. But former cabinet minister Robert Jenrick said the crisis was already so serious that countries had to accept sacrifices to punish Russia.

Jenrick told the Daily Mail: “Swift’s suspension of Russia is the single most effective, immediate act that could seriously damage their financial system. While Russia has developed alternatives, they are not the same and there will be great dislocation.

‘The UK seems to be arguing the case with our allies, which is extremely welcome, but unfortunately some nations put their short-term financial interests first. Russia relies on such weakness, we have to work hard now or the price will only increase.”

US-British financier Bill Browder, who once described himself as Vladimir Putin’s “number one enemy,” yesterday said the suspension would bring Russia back “into the dark ages.”

Mr Culeba was even more candid, tweeting: “Anyone who now doubts whether Russia should be banned by Swift should understand that the blood of innocent Ukrainian men, women and children will also be on their hands.”

But some nations are said to be worried that the ban could lead to an even worse outcome, such as putting Russia in the arms of Chinese payment systems.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Western world entered a strange interlude in which we forgot about the realities of the policies of the great powers. In a sense, the 79-year-old president Joe Biden embodies this oblivion.

In the 1990s, the West closed its eyes to the genocide in Rwanda and woke up to the Balkan War only after much anxiety. In Bosnia and Kosovo, belated US intervention saved Europe.

After 9/11, we have become laser-focused on the threat of ideology – political or radical Islam or Islamism – rather than a great power. We went to war on terror. The United States led, and Europe followed.

In the end, we succeeded and failed.

We managed to prevent a new 9/11, killed Osama bin Laden and crushed Islamic State. Above all, we have failed to create a stable Iraq, and we have completely failed to create a stable Afghanistan.

President Joe Biden has abandoned the Afghan people to the Taliban, writes Nile Ferguson.

But the real failure was to ignore the revival of two of the old great powers, China and Russia. Not just to ignore, but to allow them to rise.

The Americans helped China’s rapid growth, especially after the Beijing government was admitted to the World Trade Organization. The Americans have told themselves a story that China will liberalize.

As for Russia, its return to military power was made possible by Europeans who bought Russian natural gas and oil and turned a blind eye to Putin’s increasingly despotic rule. Europeans have told themselves a story that Russia will liberalize.

We had enough evidence that we were making a mistake.

First, Russian intervention in the Syrian civil war, which followed Barack Obama’s absurd declaration in 2013 that “America is not the world’s policeman.”

Then came Russia’s annexation of Crimea and Ukraine’s first war in 2014, to which the West responded with weak sanctions.

The vice president at the time was Joe Biden. Didn’t he escape how this happened?

There was a brief break in this story of collective amnesia under President Donald Trump.

Europeans were disgusted. But did Russia invade somewhere between 2017 and 2020?

Unfortunately, despite strong claims that the Biden administration would be a transformative presidency on a par with Roosevelt’s, this quickly became a repeat of Jimmy Carter’s weak presidency, with added dementia.

INTERNALLY, the administration is in turmoil with inflation higher than ever since 1982, rising crime and the southern border crowded with illegal immigrants.

The only thing that would make Putin think twice is the availability of significant military equipment in Ukraine, but the Biden administration has delayed arms supplies to Kiev.

But the picture abroad is worse.

Last year, Biden abandoned the Afghan people to the Taliban. This year it is the turn of the people of Ukraine to be thrown to the wolves.

There has never been the slightest chance that the threat of sanctions will deter Putin from invading.

It didn’t help when Biden seemed to suggest that he wouldn’t necessarily sanction a “minor” intrusion.

The only thing that would make Putin think was the availability of significant military equipment in Ukraine, but the Biden administration has delayed arms supplies to Kiev.

Last year, it lifted sanctions against companies building the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, designed by Russia and Germany to bypass Ukraine. Moreover, Biden found that China and Russia went hand in hand after trying to get President Xi Jinping to dissuade Putin from invading Ukraine.

Naivety would not believe it if Biden was clearly not in his second childhood.

What happens next? First, despite vigorous defense, the Ukrainian army looks likely to be overwhelmed. There is heroic resistance, but the Russians will certainly control the country’s capital for days.

Second, the EU and the United States appear likely to impose sanctions that cost them the least and therefore hurt Putin the least.

Instead, Europeans must reduce energy imports from Russia, and the United States must strike at Russian banks and arm Ukraine to the teeth. But that can’t happen fast enough.

Inevitably, Putin will ask himself: Who’s next? Because the restoration of the tsarist empire, which is the work of his life, will not stop with the conquest of Ukraine.

NATO will have to work seriously and quickly to strengthen the defense of the Baltic states and Poland.

Putin is already reminding the West of the old reality that only “tactical” nuclear missiles can reliably test Russia’s conventional forces in the event of a full-scale war – and they, in turn, would call for Russian nuclear revenge and the possibility of Armageddon.

Then we could see Biden’s desperate struggle to revive a nuclear deal with Iran in the hopes of re-accepting Iranian oil on the world market and easing pressure on gasoline prices.

Finally, and most importantly, if Putin succeeds in triumphing in Ukraine, it greatly increases the likelihood that China will seek such a triumph by invading Taiwan.

The illness often takes the form of a cascade of reversals, as Jimmy Carter learned in 1979, when the Iranian revolution was followed by the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

I’m afraid we’re at an early stage of just such a cascade today – and as he watches it unfold, Joe Biden will helplessly wonder why he looks a little familiar.

Niall Ferguson is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford, managing director of Greenmantle and a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion.

On Saturday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that his government is approving the transfer of anti-tank weapons to the Ukrainian military, backing away from his insistence that only non-lethal aid, such as hard hats, be provided.

In the same time, in a tweet postGerman Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock and Economy Minister Robert Habeck acknowledged that the German government is now moving from opposing the SWIFT ban to supporting a narrowly targeted ban.

“We are working intensively on how to limit the collateral damage from the #SWIFT disconnect so that it affects the right people,” they wrote. “We need a purposeful and functional limitation of SWIFT.”

European officials said they were in lengthy, sometimes tense negotiations with US and British officials who insisted on cutting off supplies as soon as the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.

Understand Russia’s attack on Ukraine

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What is at the heart of this invasion? Russia considers Ukraine a part his natural sphere of influence, and is unnerved by Ukraine’s proximity to the West and the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO or the European Union. Although Ukraine is not part of either, it receives financial and military assistance from the US and Europe.

Are these frictions just beginning now? Antagonism between the two countries has simmered since 2014, when Russian troops crossed into Ukraine after an uprising in Ukraine replaced a Russian-friendly president with a pro-Western government. Then, Russia annexed Crimea and inspired separatist movement in the east. A ceasefire was signed in 2015but fighting continued.

How did Ukraine react? February 23, Ukraine declared a state of emergency for 30 days. how cyberattacks disabled government institutions. After the attacks began, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky martial law declared. The Foreign Minister called the attacks a “full-scale invasion” and called on the world to “stop Putin.”

But even some US officials had doubts about Russia’s complete secession. Among other things, they feared that it could strengthen alternatives to the SWIFT system being developed by Russia and China. Over time, this could undermine the ability of the United States to track and control payments.

Before Saturday’s announcement, US and EU leaders discussed how many and which Russian institutions to block, according to three European diplomats and another person familiar with the matter. Officials discussed possible side effects and unintended consequences of targeted restrictions.

The announcement did not specify which banks would be cut off from SWIFT.

SWIFT, the Belgian messaging service, officially known as the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications, connects over 11,000 financial institutions around the world. It does not store or transfer funds, but allows banks and financial institutions to notify each other of upcoming transactions.

LATEST NEWS: North Korea launches missiles at the Sea of ​​Japan: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine raises global tensions

• North Korea fires unidentified projectile to the east, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said Sunday
• This will probably be the last rocket launch by a nuclear-armed country
• North Korea has resumed missile tests after a long-running self-imposed moratorium

from James Gordon for Dailymail.com

Published: 23:26 GMT, 26 February 2022 | Updated: 23:48 GMT 26 February 2022

North Korea fired an unidentified projectile east to the sea JapanAccording to South Koreais military.

The launch came after North Korea conducted seven rounds of missile tests, including the launch of a medium-range ballistic missile on January 30th.

The launch on Sunday morning will be Kim Jong Un the eighth demonstration of the regime’s strength this year.

This photo, published by the official Korean Central News Agency of North Korea last month, shows an exercise to shoot a railway missile regiment held in North Pyongyang province

Pedestrians pass by a screen showing a map explaining the launch of a North Korean missile from the country’s land to the Sea of ​​Japan (photo from the September 2021 file)

Sunday morning’s launch will be the eighth demonstration of Kim Jong Un’s regime this year

Last month, North Korea said it was lifting its long-standing self-imposed moratorium on long-range nuclear and missile tests, suggesting it could take further provocative action in the future.

The ongoing jingling of Pyongyang’s sword comes amid a stalemate in nuclear talks with Washington.

Sunday’s launch comes a month after North Korea launched a medium-range ballistic missile, the Hwasong-12, the largest weapon fired since 2017, in a test that limited the record month of launches of mostly short-range missiles in January.

Amid stalled denuclearization talks with the United States, North Korea has suggested it could resume tests of its longer-range missiles or even nuclear weapons.

North Korea is testing a Hwasong-12 intermediate and long-range ballistic missile test. Pictured here in 2017

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observes what state media reports is a test of a hypersonic missile in an undiscovered location in North Korea last month

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LATEST NEWS: Kiev is subjected to a huge air and artillery bombardment, leaving a pulsating glow over the sky as Russian troops smash cities in Ukraine: Resistance to the invasion has left Putin raging in his mountain lair

• Two explosions erupted in southwestern Ukrainian capital shortly after midnight local time
• Vladimir Putin is said to be angry at the apparent lack of progress of his troops and has set himself on fire in his heavily guarded Russian mountain lair.
• An eerie orange glow fills the sky, CNN reports fuel depot may have been hit
• The blast occurred near one of Kiev’s two airports, Boryspil International Airport, which is vital to Russia’s capture ambitions.

from Jimmy McCloskey for Dailymail.Com

Published: 23:29 GMT, 26 February 2022 | Updated: 23:35 GMT 26 February 2022

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Kiev was rocked by two huge explosions shortly after midnight local time on Sunday, filling the sky with an ominous orange glow, as reported Vladimir Putin is outraged by the lack of progress of his troops.

The explosions first reported by CNNstuck near the second airport of the Ukrainian capital Borispol International.

It is alleged that the glow may have been caused by an impact at a fuel depot and burst into flames, although no confirmation has been provided.

2.9 million Kiev citizens are facing a new night of terror, as it is claimed that Russia will intensify its bombings on Saturday night and will turn to trade business in an attempt to destroy Ukrainian morality.

Many fled to underground shelters in an attempt to stay safe, although other men and women took to the streets with weapons in an attempt to repel any Russian offensive.

BNO News also shared footage of heavy shelling in Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine, with the night sky illuminated by the orange glow of explosions.

An ominous orange light illuminates the skies over Ukraine in the early hours of Sunday local time, suggesting the fire was at the site of a fuel depot near one of the city’s airports.

Former Estonian Defense Minister Riho Terras shares what he claims is information about Russia’s slower-than-expected attempt to conquer Ukraine

Terras claims that the Russians expected to terrify Ukraine in order to obey – only to be met with fierce resistance

Terras also claimed that horrific attacks would be launched against civilian targets to try to panic Ukrainians, but urged them to stand firm.

Terras shared this photo, which he claims is from a Russian intelligence briefing and which says Putin’s invasion is going much worse than the Kremlin chief expected.

It is estimated that about 200 Ukrainian civilians have been killed so far. Ukraine, meanwhile, claims to have killed 3,500 Russian soldiers, including hundreds believed to have died when two transport planes were shot down on Friday night.

Those losses have infuriated Vladimir Putin, according to former Estonian defense chief Riho Terras.

Terrace wrote on Twitter: “Putin is furious, he thought the whole war would be easy and everything would be done in 1-4 days.

“The Russians are shocked by the fierce resistance they have encountered.”

The defense expert went on to say that Russia was failing because it had failed to implement a “tactical plan” and also expected the attack to “cause panic among civilians and the armed forces and force (Ukrainian President Vladimir) Zelensky to flee”.

Terras shared an image on a piece of paper said to be a defense document, declaring: “Putin is raging. He was sure it would be a cake walk.

The story unfolds, check again for updates

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This month, the United States expelled Washington’s second-highest-ranking Russian diplomat in the United States, Prime Minister Sergei Trepelkov, a State Department official told the Associated Press on Thursday.

The expulsion is not linked to Russia’s overnight invasion of Ukraine and is part of a long-running dispute between Washington and Moscow over embassy staff. However, the move comes amid tensions between the two nations after Vladimir Putin ignored Western warnings and launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine.

Trepelkov is No. 2 with Ambassador Anatoly Antonov. His expulsion comes after Russia expelled Deputy Chief of Mission Bart Gorman from Moscow earlier this month.

The State Department official said the expulsion was “a direct response to the unprovoked Russian expulsion of our deputy chief of mission” and said the move could not “go unanswered”.

No official expulsion notice has been issued.

The battle between the two countries comes when diplomacy between the two countries is low after the Cold War.

Tensions among embassy staff began in January 2017, when the Obama administration ordered the suspension of several Russian diplomatic missions in the United States and expelled many diplomats over Moscow’s interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Russia has responded with reciprocal measures and the situation has escalated since then.

Relations with the enemy are also high, as Russia has refused to heed Western warnings about sanctions if it invades Ukraine overnight.

According to a State Department official, the United States is still committed to maintaining diplomatic contacts in Russia and the United States to “facilitate communication between our governments.”

Biden also announced sanctions against Russia’s financial institutions, saying it would have a “severe” effect on the nation’s economy.

“Putin is the aggressor. Putin chose this war. And now he and his country will suffer the consequences, “Biden said in a White House speech Thursday afternoon.

“He has much bigger ambitions than Ukraine. He wants to restore the former Soviet Union. That’s what it’s about, “he said, accusing Putin of building an empire.

He said he had no plans to talk to Putin and said he did not underestimate the leader.

Biden’s speech was postponed twice Thursday afternoon as Russian forces made their way quickly through Ukraine.

“Now the whole world sees clearly what Putin and his Kremlin allies are all about. This has never been a real security concern for them. It was always a matter of naked aggression, “the president continued.

He said imposing sanctions on Putin himself was “on the table”, but declined to say why he had no longer imposed direct sanctions on the aggressor.

The United States has ousted Russia’s No. 2 diplomat in Washington, a State Department spokesman said Thursday after Russia expelled the deputy head of the US mission in Moscow earlier this month.

The expulsion of Prime Minister Sergei Trepelkov comes amid a dispute between Washington and Moscow over embassy staff and is not linked to the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine – but comes at a time when tensions are at their highest since the Cold War.

Deputy Chief of Mission Bart Gorman (pictured front) was deported from Russia earlier this month. Here he left the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow on April 21, 2021

Many of Biden’s aides from the outset believed that the sanctions would not scare Russian President Vladimir Putin from changing course and invading Ukraine, even though US officials spent hundreds of hours for five months discussing and drafting sentences.

More than a dozen current and former officials told Bloomberg, according to a report Thursday, that they remain doubtful whether sanctions will change Putin’s behavior when it comes to Ukraine.

However, Biden tied Washington’s hands to every other route after insisting last year that the United States would not send US forces to Ukraine to help protect them from Russian threats.

This prompted the president’s team to try to establish a diplomatic path, until last night Russia finally inevitably launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine – including the capital Kiev.

Russia launched a full-scale war against Ukraine on Wednesday night against Thursday morning, with simultaneous attacks from the south, east and north, by land and air. Rockets and bombs rained down from the sky, tanks rolled across the border, helicopters buzzed and explosions were seen across the country after Putin ordered an attack.

The attack continued on Thursday, with a massive Russian helicopter attack on Hostomel, Ukraine, and its vital air base just 9 miles northwest of Kiev.

The president met with G7 leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan on Thursday morning after meeting his National Security Council in the White House Situation Room. The G7 summit was also attended by the President of the European Commission, the President of the European Council and the Secretary General of NATO.

Biden remarked on “Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine,” beginning at about 1:45 p.m. Thursday afternoon in his first public appearance since the invasion.

Biden announced on Tuesday the “first tranche” of sanctions, a modest move that has prompted both Democrats and Republicans to criticize the administration for not being tough enough on Russia and Putin in the midst of the war.

This has certainly not stopped Putin from taking action in Ukraine overnight.

Even after further measures, including sanctioning the company behind the Russia-Germany Nord Stream 2 pipeline, there are still internal and congressional insistence that Biden impose more “crippling sanctions”.

Representative Adam Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, left the Capitol Hill Center for Sensitive Information (SCIF) to call for more sanctions.

“Russia has launched an unprovoked, unjustified campaign against Ukraine with a complete invasion. “Civilians are being killed, Ukraine is mobilizing its opposition to the Russian invasion,” a congressman from the Democratic Party in California told reporters. “We need to support Ukraine to defend itself.”

“I think we will have to drastically escalate the sanctions we are imposing on Russia for this act of open aggression by the Kremlin dictator,” Schiff added.

Aides to the president continue to parade the impending heavier sentence, but Bloomberg notes that there is skepticism behind the scenes about the White House’s strategy so far.

Excluding military involvement, Biden must now take on the task of proving that sanctions will be enough to deter a major adversary, which has not yet proven effective.

There are already about 90,000 US troops in Europe, many of whom have been relocated or stationed in NATO’s eastern allies to defend themselves against growing Kremlin aggression.

Russia continues its full-scale attack on Ukraine on Thursday after a report emerged showing that presidential aides Joe Biden knew and warned that sanctions would not prevent President Vladimir Putin from continuing the invasion. Photo provided by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense shows burnt Russian military vehicles near Glukhov, Sumy region, Ukraine on Thursday

President Biden meets with his National Security Council in the White House Situation Hall Thursday morning after Russia waged war in Ukraine at night

There are now approximately 90,000 US troops scattered across Europe, many of them relocating or deploying in the eastern part of the continent to help those counties at risk of Russian invasion of Ukraine – but no US troops located directly in Ukraine

Although U.S. officials spent hundreds of hours five months debating and drafting sanctions, at least a dozen current and former U.S. officials said they knew it wouldn’t do much to deter Putin, but their hands were tied after as Biden ruled out US military action in Ukraine. A man sits in front of his destroyed building after the bombings in the eastern Ukrainian city of Chuguev on Thursday

US troops from the 173rd Army Airborne Brigade arrive in Latvia on Thursday (February 24th) to provide additional assistance to Eastern Europe as Russia launches a full-scale attack on Ukraine.

Evidence has shown in the past that sanctions often fail to meet deterrence targets, and in some cases have even shown that they only increase unwanted behavior on the part of targeted parties.

“The instrument of sanctions has become a tired tool,” former Trump-era Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Beegan told Bloomberg.

Bigham, a veteran of the Republican administration who helped shape U.S. policy toward North Korea, added that Biden’s team did not have a good chance of countering Putin, given that he had ruled out military action in Ukraine and sanctions were not working.

He argues that the use of sanctions “does not seem to have significantly changed the behavior of any foreign country whose actions are relevant to the United States.”

A man familiar with the administration’s thinking said the prospect of a full-scale Russian invasion over the past few months was “beyond inevitability”.

They added that despite this air, the thinking is still “We are sure we will try” to oppose Putin’s plans with sanctions.

Another senior official administration was less pessimistic, arguing that the sanctions were only part of Biden’s efforts to deter the invasion. Although he claimed that the administration remained “clear” about the prospect of a complete invasion, the aim was to try to convince Putin that this would lead to a united opposition from Western nations.

U.S. lawmakers of all political persuasions have attacked Putin for ignoring Western warnings and moving forward with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine overnight, calling for more action from Washington against Moscow.

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy called the Russian president’s decision “an evil, panicked move of weakness and will be his defining mistake.”

Politicians have also warned Moscow that Ukraine will defend their sovereignty, with Murphy tweeting that “the Ukrainian people will fight as long as necessary” and Republican Senator Marco Rubio says Ukraine will NEVER agree to be ruled by Putin. and claims ‘men, women, children, the elderly’ will mutilate and kill many (sic) Russians. ‘

Michigan Republican spokesman Peter Meyer said the “young” response from the West “encouraged” Putin to continue the full-scale invasion, saying Washington’s and NATO’s threat of sanctions was “positive evidence” that Moscow did not see it as real resistance. . He also called for “crippling sanctions”.

“He was ready to pay the bluff in the West,” Meyer told Fox & Friends on Thursday morning about Putin.

“Now is the time to be strong, united and free of crippling economic and sanctions costs for Russia. We can no longer afford to be cold or weak-willed here. ‘

Republican spokesman Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin said Putin was “a KGB thug who understands language other than force,” while criticizing the US and Western response.

The KGB was the main security agency of the Soviet Union from March 1954 to 1991.

“[Putin] was willing to pay for the bluff in the West,” spokesman Peter Meyer told Fox & Friends on Thursday morning. The attack has reached Ukraine on all fronts, with bombs and missiles hitting targets across the country, ground forces targeting Belarus, Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, and paratroopers launching Kharkiv.

Republicans and Democrats condemn Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine overnight. An explosion lit up the night sky over Kiev early Thursday as Russia launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine from the north, south and east with bombs, cruise missiles and rockets falling from the sky.

Flames and smoke rise from the wreckage of a house outside the Ukrainian capital Kiev on Thursday after the Russian shelling after a volley of air and missile strikes on Ukrainian facilities across the country

Ukrainian emergency services work at the site of a military plane crash about 12 miles south of Kiev on Thursday, February 24, 2022. A Ukrainian military plane with 14 people on board crashed on Thursday and emergency services are still working to to “determine how many people died”

Senator Marco Rubio tweeted that Ukraine “will NEVER accept to be ruled by Putin” and that “men, women, children, the elderly” will “mutilate and kill many Russians.” Pictured: Injured woman appears on Thursday after air strike damages residential complex outside Kharkiv, Ukraine

Ukrainian troops prepare to defend against attacks on Luhansk on Thursday (February 24th) after Putin’s invasion has already killed dozens, wounded hundreds and forced hundreds more to flee.

Damage to a residential building in Chukhuyev, Kharkiv region can be seen in footage published by the Ukrainian National Guard

Ukrainian citizens carry suitcases after crossing the Ukrainian border in Medica, Poland on Thursday after Russia’s invasion last night. US lawmakers call for “crippling sanctions” on Putin for ignoring Western warnings

Michael McCall, a member of the House of Representatives, told CBS Mornings on Thursday: “We haven’t actually seen anything like this since Hitler invaded Poland during World War II. I just hope this is not the beginning of World War III.

He said invading and ignoring Western warnings was a “clear” sign that Putin “wanted all of Russia’s granary back.”

McCall and other Republican leaders on key House committees said Russia’s latest proves Putin’s “real evil” to the world.

“The last few hours have exposed the world to witness the real evil that is Vladimir Putin,” McCall, a member of the House of Representatives Mike Rodgers and a member of the Standing Committee on Intelligence, Mike Turner, said in a statement Wednesday night. .

“Today, we are determined with the Ukrainian people and we are determined to provide them with the tools they need to withstand and repel this unprovoked attack,” they added. “Every drop of Ukrainian and Russian blood shed in this conflict is in Putin’s hands and his own.”

The group signaled that there should be a much tougher US response to Russia than in 2014, when Putin annexed Crimea.

“We are committed to imposing the strictest possible sanctions and export controls to cripple Russia’s ability to wage war, punish its barbarism and reduce the Putin regime to international pariah status. We cannot respond as we did in 2008 or 2014. The world must never forget or forgive this heinous act.

Biden has been criticized for not doing enough to fight Russian aggression since taking office last year.

Additional US forces landed in Latvia on Thursday morning from the 173rd Airborne Brigade, after thousands of troops have already been sent to Poland and Romania to strengthen defenses in those regions amid the Russian invasion.

Pictured: A Russian Ka-52 combat helicopter was forced to land in a field outside Kiev, Ukraine on Thursday. According to Ukraine, six Russian planes were shot down from the sky over the eastern region of Donbass with 50 killed Russian soldiers

A man standing in front of a Russian Ka-52 combat helicopter is seen in the field after a forced landing outside Kiev on Thursday, February 24, 2022.

Senator Lindsey Graham says Putin is committing a “war crime” and it is [i] imperative that we continue to provide Ukraine with protective weapons as well as good intelligence. ”

“The world must condemn Putin’s destruction of a neighboring democracy as a war crime,” said the South Carolina Republican.

“It’s time to do this for Putin personally,” Graham said, adding that he should be punished by “international law enforcement agencies” for confiscating Putin’s lavish apartments and his “friends,” fine arts, yachts and other tangible goods. purchased by stealing Russian blind people. ‘

Along with clashes on the ground, including confirmation that 40 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and dozens more wounded, Putin and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky indirectly exchanged a verbal war – any rhetoric accusing the other of being reminiscent of Nazi Germany.

“Russia treacherously attacked our country in the morning, as Nazi Germany did in # 2 years of World War II,” Zelensky tweeted on Thursday morning Eastern Standard Time, but it was already afternoon in Ukraine.

“As of today, our countries are from different parts of world history,” he continued. ‘

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to Russian media: “Ideally, Ukraine should be liberated, cleansed of Nazis, pro-Nazi people and ideologies.”

Ukrainian servicemen load rocket debris on truth after Russian shelling in Kiev, Ukraine on Thursday

Republican spokesman Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin said Putin was “a KGB thug who understands language other than force,” calling for tougher action from the United States and Western allies. Huge explosion at Vinnytsia military base in central Ukraine after being attacked by Russia

Ukrainian military tank seen in downtown Odessa, Ukraine on Thursday (February 24th) after Russia launched its military operation in the country

American paratroopers get off a military plane landing in Latvia on Thursday

The first 40 soldiers of the 173rd arrived in Latvia on the morning of February 24, after Russia launched its military offensive against Ukraine.

How did the invasion of Ukraine develop minute by minute: Russian shells fall over Mariupol at 3:30 am, Putin declares war two hours later and then all hell breaks out in the whole country and the capital Kiev

The Russians launched a total war against Ukraine today with rockets falling from the sky, tanks rolling across the Belarusian border and masses of paratroopers descending to the eastern regions after Vladimir Putin personally ordered an attack.

“Hundreds” of Ukrainian soldiers have already been killed in early clashes, Kiev said, as the battle came to them on all fronts at one time. Cruise missiles, guided bombs and GRAD missiles are destroying targets from east to west – aimed at airports, military bases, ammunition depots and command posts, including in the capital.

The first sign that an invasion was imminent came shortly before 12 noon Ukrainian time (10 pm in Britain), when Russian-backed rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine demanded military assistance from Moscow in what is widely seen as a “fake” flag” . an operation to justify Putin’s decision to attack.

A moment later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed a provocative message to the nation, promising that his compatriots would “retaliate” in the event of an invasion, telling Moscow: “When you attack us, you will see our faces, not our backs.”

A frantic series of diplomatic maneuvers, including an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in New York, was not enough to dissuade Putin from announcing a “special military operation” around 3 a.m. Ukrainian time.

Around 6 a.m., Zelensky declared martial law in a video message recorded on his phone, urging his people “not to panic” and promising, “We will all win because we are Ukraine.”

As Europe faces its worst military crisis in decades, this is how dramatic events unfolded this morning, minute by minute. All times are displayed first in Ukrainian time, with the GMT equivalent in parentheses.

12:00 (22h)
“We will fight back”: Ukrainian president delivers emotional televised address

Vladimir Zelensky promises that the Ukrainian people will “strike back” if Putin launches a full-scale invasion.

His comments follow a request from Moscow-backed rebel leaders in the east for military aid to repel Ukrainian “aggression” – considered by the West a “false flag” – to justify the invasion.

Solemn President Zelensky says: “The people of Ukraine and the Government of Ukraine want peace.

“But if we are attacked, if we face an attempt to take away our country, our freedom, our lives and the lives of our children, we will defend ourselves. When you attack us, you will see our faces, not our backs. ‘

The Ukrainian president said he had tried to call Putin earlier in the evening, but there was no answer, only silence, adding that Moscow had about 200,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders.

At the request of Ukraine, the UN Security Council quickly scheduled an extraordinary meeting – the second in three days.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the separatists’ demand “further aggravation of the security situation”.

Ukraine reads about the conflict and enters a one-month state of emergency, which takes effect at midnight.

3:30 in the morning (1:30 GMT)
Explosions were heard in the strategically important port city of Mariupol

Residents of the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol were awakened at 3.30 am by explosions.

The videos appear to show clouds of smoke rising in the nearby night sky, but it has not been confirmed whether this was the result of shelling.

Mariupol, located on the Black Sea 50 miles from the Russian border, handles 50% of Ukraine’s steel and mineral exports.

Occupying the strategic location will give the people’s republics of Donbass access to the sea and will stifle a vital economic artery for the legitimate government of Ukraine.

4:30 PM (2:30 AM GMT)
UN summit at which the Ukrainian ambassador tells his Russian counterpart: “war criminals go straight to hell”

The UN Security Council is holding an emergency meeting in New York to try to dissuade Russia from sending troops to Ukraine.

During the accused session, Ukrainian Ambassador Serhiy Kislitsya begged the council, chaired by Russia, to “do everything possible to stop the war.”

He urged the ambassador to step down as chairman.

“There is no purgatory for war criminals. They’re going straight to hell, Ambassador, “said a visibly emotional Kislica.

At an accused UN Security Council meeting, Ukrainian Ambassador Sergei Kislitsya told his Russian counterpart: “There is no purgatory for war criminals. They go straight to hell, Ambassador

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on Putin to stop his tanks.

“If surgery is really being prepared, I have only one thing to say from the bottom of my heart,” he said.

“President Putin, stop your troops from attacking Ukraine. Give peace a chance. Too many people have already died. ‘

Mr Guterres says he is witnessing “the saddest moment of my term as UN Secretary-General” and that Europe is at risk, “the worst war of the century”.

He then warned that Russia’s actions would be “not only” devastating for Ukraine “and” tragic “for Russia,” but also with an impact we cannot even foresee in terms of their consequences for the global economy. ”

“At a time when we are leaving Covid and so many developing countries, there must be room for recovery, which would be very, very difficult with high oil prices, wheat exports from Ukraine and rising interest rates caused by the instability of international markets, he added.

5 am (3 am GMT)
Putin declares a “special military operation” and threatens the West

Putin has declared a “special military operation” in eastern Ukraine, claiming it aims to protect civilians.

In a televised address, Putin said the action came in response to threats coming from Ukraine.

He claims that Russia wants to “denazify, not occupy” Ukraine. Putin says the Ukrainian regime is responsible for the bloodshed.

Putin warns the countries that any attempt to interfere in Russia’s actions will lead to “consequences they have never seen.”

The strong man could be seen wearing the same suit and red tie he wore on Monday to expose his de facto inaccurate version of Ukraine’s history, essentially saying it had always been part of Russia.

Looking back, Putin’s attempts to rewrite history as he sees fit can be interpreted as proof that he has already decided to invade Ukraine and that he believes Western leaders are asking him for diplomacy.

5:30 AM (3:30 AM GMT)
Explosions were heard in Kiev just minutes after Putin’s speech ended

After Putin’s speech, explosions were reported in Kiev, Odessa, Ukraine’s third-largest city, and the city of Kramatorsk in the eastern Donetsk region.

A CNN reporter in Kiev said: “I just heard a big bang right here behind me. I’ve never heard anything like it. ‘

Matthew Chance, a senior international correspondent for the network, said he heard between seven and eight explosions.

Chance quickly put on his bulletproof vest and hat as he continued to report from a balcony in the Ukrainian capital.

A CNN reporter in the Ukrainian capital Kiev puts on a bulletproof vest after hearing explosions shortly after 5.30am

“There are big explosions. I can’t see them or explain what they are. but I will tell you that the United States has warned the Ukrainian authorities that there may be air and ground attacks throughout the country, including in the capital.

“I don’t know if this is happening now, but it is a remarkable coincidence that the explosions came just minutes after Putin delivered his speech,” Chance said.

“It simply came to our notice then. It was absolutely quiet. This is the first time. It must be more than just a coincidence.

“I think it’s safe where I am. “I have a bulletproof vest,” Chance said before bending down to put on his protective gear.

He suggested that the explosions he heard were still some distance from the center.

6 am (4 GMT GMT)
The Ukrainian president declared martial law

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is imposing martial law and urging his people to stay at home and not panic as Russian troops enter the country.

In a video message released shortly after the Kremlin launched its attacks in Ukraine, Zelensky said Russia had launched missile strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and border guards and that explosions had been heard in many cities.

The Ukrainian president also said that he had talked on the phone with US President Joe Biden.

He pleaded: “Dear Ukrainian citizens, this morning President Putin announced a special military operation in Donbass. Russia has struck at our military infrastructure and our border guards. Explosions were heard in many cities of Ukraine. We are imposing martial law on the entire territory of our country.

“I had a conversation with President Biden a minute ago. The United States has already begun to unite international support. Today, each of you must remain calm. Stay home if you can. We work. The army is working.

“The whole defense and security sector is working. Don’t panic. We are strong. We are ready for anything. We will all win because we are Ukraine. ‘

Paratroopers are descending on Ukraine’s second-largest city as Russians carry out multiple attacks
From about 6 in the morning onwards

The footage appears to show masses of paratroopers landing in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s largest city.

The United States seems to have known there was an invasion, according to ABC’s Martha Radac.

She said she had received a message from a senior Pentagon official three hours before the invasion, which said: “You are probably in the last few hours of peace on the European continent for a long time to come. Be careful. ‘

As the violence spread, Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s interior minister, wrote on Facebook that the Russian military had fired missiles at Ukrainian military command posts, air bases and military depots in Kiev, Kharkiv and the Dnieper.

Later in the morning, five Russian planes were reportedly shot down from the skies over Donbass before Moscow boasted that it had removed all air defenses by giving them control of the skies.

Ukrainian border guards say they have come under attack by heavy artillery, tanks and troops from Russia and Belarus – as Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko throws his forces into the fight.

Luhansk, Sumy, Kharkiv and Chernihiv in the east of Ukraine are all reported as coming under attack, but blasts are also reported in the west – in Zhytomyr and Lviv, close to the border with Poland.

Extraordinary video footage shows what appears to be a cruise missile slamming into Ivano-Frankivsk airport, also in the west.

Meanwhile pro-Russian rebel forces push out from the occupied Donbass region, capturing two villages and claiming to have shot two Ukrainian jets out of the skies. The port city of Odessa, where Ukraine’s main naval base is located, also comes under attack.

Western politicians immediately responded Wednesday evening to the announcement of Russia’s ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine with warnings to Putin.

‘The Ukrainian people will fight for as long as it takes to secure their nation from this foreign tyrant, and the United States will stand with them in this fight,’ Senator Murphy from Connecticut posted in a five-part Twitter thread.

‘Tonight, the entire Post World War international order sits on a knife edge,’ he added. ‘If Putin does not pay a devastating price for this transgression, then our own security will soon be at risk.’

‘We must be unceasingly in our assistance to the Ukrainian people. We must levy crippling sanctions on Russia. And we must cut off Putin and his cronies from the global economy. A strong, swift response is vital.’

Biden issued sanctions this week on Russian banks and oligarchs, as well as on the two regions in Eastern Ukraine that Putin declared independent republics on Monday. But Democratic and Republican lawmakers claim this isn’t enough and are urging Biden to get tougher on Putin.

‘[W]e must remember that Putin has plans for us too,’ Murphy warned in his Twitter thread. ‘He and his agents will use this crisis to try to divide Americans from each other and to separate America from our allies. In this, we must remain vigilant and united. This is not a moment for politics to trump security.’

Secretary of State Antony Blinken told NBC’s Lester Holt on Wednesday that ‘if Russia continues to escalate, so will we.’

‘At the end of the day, if that doesn’t stop President Putin, we’ve made very clear along with all of our allies and partners that there will be massive consequences going forward, a price that Russia will have to pay for a long, long time,’ he added.

Biden’s administration, however, has repeatedly said that U.S. troops will not directly engage in combat in Ukraine and has ensured the safety of forces as they deploy to Eastern Europe.

Biden was slammed Wednesday and into Thursday morning for being publicly absent as developments unfolded in Ukraine Wednesday night as Russia launched an all-out war.

Ukrainian border guards say they have been attacked by heavy artillery, tanks and troops from Russia and Belarus – while Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko throws his forces into battle.

Luhansk, Sumy, Kharkiv and Chernihiv were reportedly under attack in eastern Ukraine, but explosions were also reported in the west, in Zhytomyr and Lviv, near the Polish border.

Extraordinary videos show what appears to be a cruise missile hitting Ivano-Frankivsk airport, also in the west.

Meanwhile, pro-Russian rebel forces have been pushed out of the occupied Donbass region, capturing two villages and claiming to have shot down two Ukrainian planes from the sky. The port city of Odessa, home to Ukraine’s main naval base, is also under attack.

Western politicians immediately responded on Wednesday night to the announcement of Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine with warnings to Putin.

“The Ukrainian people will fight as long as necessary to protect their nation from this foreign tyrant, and the United States will stand with them in this battle,” Senator Murphy of Connecticut wrote in a five-part Twitter account.

“Tonight, the entire international order after World War II is on the cutting edge,” he added. “If Putin does not pay a devastating price for this crime, then our own security will soon be threatened.”

“We must constantly help the Ukrainian people. We must impose crippling sanctions on Russia. And we need to cut off Putin and his entourage from the global economy. A strong and quick reaction is vital. ‘

Biden imposed sanctions this week on Russian banks and oligarchs, as well as on the two regions in eastern Ukraine that Putin declared independent republics on Monday. But Democrat and Republican lawmakers say that’s not enough, and call for Biden to be tougher on Putin.

“We must remember that Putin also has plans for us,” Murphy warned in his Twitter thread. “He and his agents will use this crisis to try to separate Americans from each other and separate America from our allies. In this we must remain vigilant and united. Now is not the time for politics to prevail over security. ‘

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told NBC’s Lester Holt on Wednesday that “if Russia continues to escalate, we will continue to escalate.”

“At the end of the day, if this does not stop President Putin, we have made it clear, together with all our allies and partners, that there will be huge consequences in the future, a price that Russia will have to pay for a very, very long time,” he added.

However, the Biden administration has repeatedly said that US troops will not be directly involved in battles in Ukraine and has ensured the safety of forces when stationed in Eastern Europe.

Biden was charged with a public absence on Wednesday and until Thursday morning, as events unfolded in Ukraine on Wednesday night, when Russia launched a total war.

French President Emmanuel Macron showed up in a virtual meeting Thursday morning with G7 leaders from the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan to discuss the situation in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion. The meeting came after Biden convened his National Security Council earlier in the morning and will speak publicly at 12:30 p.m.

Biden condemned Putin’s “unprovoked and unwarranted attack” in a statement released at 10:25 p.m., shortly after the declaration of war. But after being accused of “weakness” in the face of Russian aggression, he was called upon to strike Russia and Vladimir Putin’s inner circle with tougher sanctions “as much as possible”.

The president “monitored the situation” from the White House at night, according to a statement Wednesday night, but has not yet made a public address or appearance and will not do so until noon – 12 hours after the war began.

Former President Donald Trump was sarcastic about Biden’s response, telling Fox News in a wild interview overnight that Biden was “probably in bed right now” instead of watching developments.

Biden was last filmed on Tuesday, February 22, when he announced sanctions against Russia from the Eastern House of the White House.

Addressing the nation on Thursday morning, Zelensky said Ukraine’s history had changed forever and that Russia had “taken the path of evil.”

He compared the Russian attack to Hitler’s forces during World War II, but promised to retaliate, saying the military had already inflicted “serious losses” on Russia.

In the photo: the Ukrainian port of Ochakov in the Nikolaev area was set on fire by conflict after the full-scale invasion of Russia on Thursday

The ruins of a checkpoint at the state border service in the Kiev region were destroyed after it was shelled by Russian forces

The Ukrainian president called on all citizens who want to defend their homeland to move forward, saying that weapons will be distributed to anyone who wants them, and asked civilians to donate blood to help the wounded troops.

He also called on world leaders to impose “the toughest possible sanctions” on Putin.

This came after Putin issued an emergency address to Russia in the early hours of a UN meeting aimed at avoiding war. During his remarks, he declared a “special military operation” to “demilitarize” and “denazify” Ukraine, which is an open declaration of war.

The video appears to have been pre-recorded, at about the same time as Putin’s address on Monday, recognizing Donbass as independent.

Putin also issued a chilling warning to any country that intends to come to Ukraine’s aid, promising “consequences greater than any you have ever encountered in history.”

“I hope I’ve been heard,” he said.

Cruise missiles, guided bombs and GRAD missiles are destroying targets from east to west in Ukraine – aimed at airports, military bases, ammunition depots and command posts, including in the capital Kiev.

Six Russian planes were shot down from the skies over the Eastern Donbass region with 50 Russian soldiers killed, Ukraine claims.

Alexander Lukashenko, the dictatorial ruler of Belarus, was shown speaking to his generals on Thursday morning after his forces allegedly joined the attack on Ukraine – although he denies it.

Ukrainian border guards said they were attacked by heavy artillery, tanks and troops from Russia and Belarus, while Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko threw up his forces in the battle – although he refused to take part.

Luhansk, Sumy and Chernihiv in eastern Ukraine were attacked while tanks were fighting on the outskirts of Kharkiv after paratroopers landed.

Explosions have also been reported in the west, in Zhytomyr and Lviv, near the Polish border, where the United States has sent paratroopers from the 82nd and 18th Airborne Corps.

In the southern city of Kherson, Ukrainian troops were reportedly routed by Russian tanks leaving Crimea, which reached the Dnieper River by mid-Thursday morning.

Extraordinary videos showed what looked like a Kalibur cruise missile hitting Ivano-Frankivsk airport. A block of flats in Kharkov was also hit, leading to civilian casualties, including a young boy. A video has also surfaced confirming that the cruise missiles were fired by Russian troops stationed in Moldova.

Russian helicopters also attacked the Kakhovka hydroelectric plant on the Dnieper River, raising their flag shortly afterwards.

Meanwhile, pro-Russian rebel forces pushed out of the occupied Donbass region, seized two villages and claimed to have shot down two Ukrainian planes from the sky. The port cities of Mariupol and Odessa, where Ukraine’s main naval bases are located, were also attacked. Russian tankers appear to have blocked the Kerch Strait, leading from the hinterland to the Sea of ​​Azov, cutting off Mariupol.

Meet the family: kings, queens and pack of barons

Camilla’s family tree connects her to at least seven dukes, six Marquis, 15 counts, seven viscounts and eight barons.

It also comes directly from Jeanne, Queen of Navarre (1528-72), King Henry IV of France (1533-1610), King Frederick II of Denmark and Norway (1534-88), Queen Mary of Scots (1542-87), King James VI of Scotland and I of England (1566-1625) and King Charles II (1630-85).

She was also associated with the Queen through their common ancestor John Lyon, 8th Lord Glamis (1544-78), and to Princess Diana through William, 2nd Earl of Albemarle (1702-54).