This Thursday Ukraine cried out for the help of the international community in the face of Russia’s offensive, a country with which it broke off relations after the attack this morning, while declaring martial law amid other measures to defend itself from aggression.
“If you, dear European leaders, world leaders, leaders of the free world, do not help us, and do not help us well, tomorrow the war will knock on their doors”, warned the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyin a speech broadcast on Facebook.
The Ukrainian president made these remarks after speaking today with several world leaders, including those of the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Turkey.
Sanctions to stop Russia
Zelenski said that to stop Moscow, more “effective” sanctions than those that have been imposed so far against the Russian government are needed.
In particular, he advocated the disconnection of Russia from the SWIFT transaction system, sanctions against Russian leaders and other strong measures capable of dissuading Russia from continuing the military operation in Ukraine.
Zelensky also called for closing the skies over Ukraine and providing more military aid to the country so it can defend itself against Moscow’s attack.
no diplomatic relations
The military operation in Ukraine, which Russia justified by the defense of the population of the pro-Russian separatist republics of Donbas, in the east of the country, led to the rupture of diplomatic relations between Kiev and Moscow on Thursday.
“This morning has gone down in history, but this history is absolutely different for our country and for Russia. We have broken diplomatic relations with Russia,” Zelensky said, announcing the move.
This means that the two countries will no longer have any communication through diplomatic channels and will have to resort to mediators for possible negotiations.
Like the other Soviet socialist republics, Ukraine became independent in 1991 from the Soviet Union, which disappeared in December of that year as a subject of international law.
Russian-Ukrainian relations have deteriorated since the Russian annexation of Crimea and the Kremlin’s support for the armed uprising in Donbas (2014).
Martial law
The war with Russia also led Ukraine to declare martial law throughout the country’s territory.
“Today, President (Russian Vladimir) Putin announced the start of a special military operation in Donbas. Russia has carried out attacks against our military infrastructure. We impose martial law on the entire territory of our country,” Zelensky said.
Shortly before, the authorities had called up all the reservists while studying to declare the general mobilization in the country.
“We are strong, we are ready for everything, we will overcome everything. We are Ukraine,” he added, again calling on Ukrainians not to panic.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov called on all Ukrainians capable of wielding a weapon to join the ranks of the territorial defenses of their respective regions.
In 2018, Ukraine had already decreed martial law in some of its regions, without extending the measure to the entire country, due to the escalation of tension with Russia over an incident in the Sea of Azov.
Kiev, curfew and traffic jams
The flight of citizens from the Ukrainian capital, many in panic for fear of instability and the possible advance of Russian troops, collapsed traffic circulation in Kiev on Thursday, several witnesses told Efe.
“People want to go west, to cities where there are no airports and military installations,” said Olga, a civil servant.
He also recognized that throughout the day it was almost impossible to leave the city due to the accumulation of cars.
“In addition, they asked us to stay at home and not create traffic jams so that the Army troops can move without impediments,” he said.
Regarding the spirits among the inhabitants of the capital, he stressed that “there are people who are in panic”, especially families with children and others who do not quite believe what is happening or react in a less emotional way.
He affirmed that there are also those who have approached the subway for fear of an air attack, a situation that also occurred in Kharkov, a city in eastern Ukraine and bordering Russia.
“It is true that there are many people leaving the city, but it depends on the options, those who do not have a car or where to go do not have that option,” the Spaniard Carlos told Efe, adding that “the highways are collapsed.”
The mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschkó, today called on the inhabitants of the capital to remain calm and stay at home.
The alderman of the Ukrainian capital, where some three million people live, also declared a curfew in the city, which will last from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. local time.
He added that during the curfew public transport will not work, but the subway will remain open as a shelter 24 hours a day.
Source: Gestion
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