Russia pressed its invasion of Ukraine to the outskirts of the capital Friday after unleashing airstrikes on cities and military bases and sending in troops and tanks from three sides in an attack that could rewrite the global post-Cold War security order.
Former US president Barack Obama took to Instagram to say what he thought of the situation. “The consequences of Russia's reckless actions extend beyond Ukraine's borders,” he wrote. “This illegal invasion in the heart of Europe also threatens the foundation of the international order and security.” he then urged that people around the world condemn the war and offer support to the people of Ukraine. “For some time now, we have seen the forces of division and authoritarianism make headway around the world, mounting an assault on the ideals of democracy, rule of law, equality, individual liberty, freedom of expression and worship, and self-determination. Russia's invasion of Ukraine shows where these dangerous trends can lead - and why they cannot be left unchallenged.” It was during Obama's tenure as president that Russia had annexed Crimea.
In the note, Obama also urged Americans irrespective of their political affiliation to support President Biden's efforts with the US' allies to impose hard-hitting sanctions on Russia. He also said that there would be economic consequences to these sanctions, given Russia's role in world energy markets, but, that's a price we should be willing to pay to take a stand on the side of freedom. He concluded by saying that he and his wife Michele will pray for 'all those who will bear the cost of a senseless war'.
Explosions sounded before dawn in Kyiv as Western leaders scheduled an emergency meeting and Ukraine's president pleaded for international help. The nature of the explosions was not immediately clear, but the blasts came amid signs that the capital and largest Ukrainian city was increasingly threatened following a day of fighting that left more than 100 Ukrainians dead.
The invasion began early Thursday with a series of missile strikes, many on key government and military installations, quickly followed by a three-pronged ground assault. Even friendly leaders like Hungary's Viktor Orban sought to distance themselves from Putin.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he aimed to cut off Russia from the UK's financial markets as he announced sanctions, freezing the assets of all large Russian banks and planning to bar Russian companies and the Kremlin from raising money on British markets.
“Now we see him for what he is - a bloodstained aggressor who believes in imperial conquest,” Johnson said of Putin.
The US sanctions will target Russian banks, oligarchs, state-controlled companies and high-tech sectors, Biden said, but they were designed not to disrupt global energy markets.
Another former president of the US George W Bush condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In a statement he said, the attack was the "gravest security crisis on the European continent since World War II." “The American government and American people must stand in solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people as they seek freedom and the right to choose their own future. We cannot tolerate the authoritarian bullying and danger that Putin poses,” he added.
