Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could trigger one of the world’s largest refugee crises, with five million people forced to flee their homes, warns US ambassador
- Linda Thomas-Greenfield warned that the invasion could displace five million people
- She said it could cause famine, as both countries export huge quantities of wheat
- The warning came after the Ukrainian government declared a state of emergency
The United States warned of a Russian invasion of the East Ukraine it could displace up to five million people, causing one of the world’s largest refugee crises.
A state of emergency has been declared by the Ukrainian government and approved by parliament, as 200,000 military reservists have been called up, border areas have been restricted and three million Ukrainians have been told to leave. Russia.
The whole country was placed on a military basis, with Kiev recognizing for the first time that the attack could take place anywhere, anytime.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US Ambassador to The united nationstold a meeting of the Security Council in New York that a Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine could displace up to five million people.
She said the invasion could cause famine in other countries, with bread prices expected to rise, given that Russia and Ukraine produce about 30 per cent of world wheat exports.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, has warned that a Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine could displace up to five million people, causing one of the world’s largest refugee crises
Russian volunteers carry medical supplies to a warehouse in the town of Taganrog, near the border with Ukraine, after Biden warned that blood was being transported to the front line in what is considered one of the last moves before the attack
She said: “Russia’s actions could cause a spike in food prices and lead to even more desperate hunger in places like Libya, Yemen and Lebanon.
“The tidal waves of suffering that this war will cause are unthinkable.”
Her warning came before explosions were heard in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol, raising fears it was under way.
Residents of the city, which is located in southeastern Ukraine, were awakened by explosions 30 miles from the Russian border.
The blasts came hours after the United States warned the Ukrainian government that Putin’s troops were “ready to go now” with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with 80 percent of Russian troops already gathered around the country to attack.
U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken also said Wednesday night that he expects Russia to invade Ukraine before the end of the night.
“Everything seems to be in place so that Russia can take part in a major aggression against Ukraine,” Blinken told NBC, adding that he could not be precise about the time or place.
Significantly, Moscow-backed rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine have asked Putin for military assistance to repel Ukrainian “aggression”, fueling fears that Russia’s strongman will use it as an excuse to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Many observers speculate that unfounded and unsubstantiated allegations of Ukrainian military aggression against Moscow-backed separatist forces would be a pretext for a full-scale invasion.
Earlier today, US President Joe Biden warned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky of an “imminent” attack by Vladimir Putin’s troops over the next 48 hours, just hours after Ukraine was hit by a “massive” cyberattack targeting its government and banks.
Russian armored vehicles loaded on railway platforms at a railway station in the Rostov-on-Don region, not far from the Russian-Ukrainian border, on Wednesday
Putin declared two areas in eastern Ukraine independent and allowed Russian troops to take part in “peacekeeping” missions. The rebels already hold part of this territory (in red), but Putin has acknowledged a much wider region (yellow) amid fears that he will now try to seize it. There are also fears that he is preparing to attack Kharkiv in Ukraine (green) after gaining strength nearby
U.S. intelligence officials fear that Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, is at particular risk of being invaded by Russia because it is close to the Ukrainian-Russian border.
On Tuesday night, a huge military convoy of more than 100 trucks of soldiers headed for the city.
On Wednesday, Vladimir Putin addressed a sword to his troops to mark Defender of the Fatherland Day, praising their “combat readiness” and saying he was confident they would fight to protect Russia’s security interests. which he called ‘non-negotiable’. Russia is also evacuating employees from its embassy in Kiev.
Ukraine’s security agency says 45,000 plastic bags for corpses have already been ordered on Russian fronts, giving the first hint of the number of lives Putin is willing to sacrifice to get what he wants – after Joe Biden said. that blood transfusion supplies were also delivered.
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