On Friday, Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution ordering Moscow to cease all military operations in Ukraine and evacuate all soldiers immediately.
Although the veto was likely to happen, the US and its supporters believed that it would undermine Moscow’s international isolation.
The 11-1 vote demonstrated strong but not total opposition to Russia’s invasion of its smaller, militarily weaker neighbor, with China, India, and the United Arab Emirates abstaining.
The failure of the resolution allows supporters to ask for a quick vote on a similar move in the UN General Assembly. It has 193 members and no veto power. There was no timeframe for a possible Assembly vote at this time.
The Security Council resolution, spearheaded by the United States and Albania, would have condemned Russia’s “aggression” against Ukraine. It demanded that Moscow withdraw its troops and cease using force against Ukraine. It also demanded to rescind a decision to recognize two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine as independent states.
General Assembly resolutions, unlike Security Council resolutions, are not legally obligatory, although they can serve as declarations of international opinion. Hundreds of countries criticized Russia or voiced sympathy with Ukraine in an Assembly gathering on Wednesday, as Moscow’s invasion loomed. Syria, a Russian ally, defended Moscow’s actions.
Invasion of a democratic country
The invasion of a democratic country sparked concerns of a larger war in Europe and prompted new international efforts including direct sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin to put an end to Moscow’s aggression.
There were growing signs that Russia may be trying to overthrow the Ukraine government, which US officials have described as Putin’s ultimate goal, amid reports of hundreds of casualties from the fighting, which included shelling that sliced through a Kyiv apartment building and pummeled bridges and schools. It would be his most audacious attempt yet to rewrite the world map and restore Moscow’s Cold War-era clout.
For the first time, NATO opted to send parts of its response force to help protect its member nations in the east. NATO did not specify how many troops would they send. But it did declare that it would involve land, sea, and air power.
The Russian troops surged on, claiming the city of Melitopol in southern Ukraine on Friday. In the haze of conflict, it was still unclear how much of Ukraine is still under Ukrainian control and how much Russian soldiers have taken.
The Kremlin agreed to meet with Kyiv, but it appeared to be more of a ruse to extract concessions from ailing President Volodymyr Zelenskyy than a move toward a diplomatic settlement. Sergii Nikiforov, a spokeswoman for Zelenskyy, said Ukraine nonetheless remains “ready to discuss a cease-fire and peace.“
Sanctions
The invasion echoed across the world’s economy and energy sources. The US and other global powers placed ever-tougher sanctions on Russia. Hence, threatening to strike ordinary people even harder. According to UN officials, millions of people could evacuate Ukraine. Many sports leagues have sanctioned Russia. (chacc.co.uk) The popular Eurovision song contest has barred it from competing in the finals in Italy in May.
The second day of Russia’s invasion, Europe’s largest ground combat since World War II, focused on the capital. Associated Press correspondents heard explosions beginning before dawn and shooting in various neighborhoods.
A loud blast was heard shortly after 8 p.m. near Maidan Nezalezhnosti, the central Kyiv square. It was the epicenter of the 2014 protests that led to the removal of a Kremlin-friendly president. The cause was not immediately clear.
According to Mayor Vitaly Klitschko, five explosions occurred near a major power plant in Kyiv’s eastern suburbs. There was no immediate word on what caused them. No reports of power disruptions were there.
The Russian military claimed it had taken control of a vital airport near Kyiv, allowing it to quickly assemble forces to conquer the city. It claimed to have blocked the city off from the west, which was the route many people took to flee the invasion, leading to long lines of cars snaking toward the Polish border.
According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, the cities of Sumy and Konotop have been cut off. The scores of Ukrainian military assets have been captured as a result of the attack. The claim could not be verified independently.
“Glory to our defenders, glory to Ukraine, glory to heroes”
An intense shooting erupted on a bridge that connects Eastern and western Kyiv across the Dnieper River. Another vital bridge to the capital was blown up.
At least 137 people died on the Ukrainian side, while hundreds died on the Russian side. The Russian government did not reveal any casualty data, and the tolls could not be verified.
UN officials confirmed 25 civilian casualties, largely as a result of shelling and airstrikes, and estimated that 100,000 people had fled their homes, with up to 4 million expected to evacuate if the conflict continues.
Zelenskyy said he and US President Joe Biden spoke on the phone about “strengthening sanctions, concrete defense assistance, and an antiwar coalition,” and that he appreciated Washington’s support.
After alerting European leaders on a phone Thursday night that he was Russia’s No. 1 target. Also, they might not see him alive again and his whereabouts were a secret. His office then published a video of him outside the presidential office with senior advisers, stating that he and other government officials will remain in the capital.
“All of us are here protecting our independence of our country,” Zelenskyy said. “And it will continue to be this way. Glory to our defenders, glory to Ukraine, glory to heroes.”
President of Ukraine volunteered to meet major President of Russia Putin’s demand
According to a US defense official, a Russian amphibious assault has begun, with tens of thousands of Russian troops going ashore from the Sea of Azov west of Mariupol. According to the official, Ukrainian air defenses have been damaged but are still operational, and around a third of Russia’s military power is currently stationed within Ukraine. The official says, Russia fired around 200 missiles into Ukraine, with some of them hitting residential areas.
Russian armor is 50 kilometers (31 miles) north and west of Kyiv, according to a senior American intelligence officer with direct knowledge of current information assessments.
Zelenskyy had previously volunteered to negotiate on a major Putin demand: Ukraine declares neutrality and relinquishes its NATO ambitions. According to the Kremlin, Kyiv agreed to meet in Minsk at first. But later changed its mind and indicated it preferred Warsaw, after which there was no communication. Later, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Kyiv will discuss Saturday’s chances for discussions.
The US and Western allies had been expecting the assault for weeks. Putin had denied it for nearly as long. He claimed that the West had forced him into this position by refusing to negotiate Russia’s security demands.
“We would find it easier to agree with you than with that gang of drug addicts and neo-Nazis who have holed up in Kyiv and have taken the entire Ukrainian people, prisoner,” Putin said. Thus, giving a glimpse into how the increasingly isolated Putin perceives Ukraine and its leadership.
The Kremlin connects members of Ukrainian right-wing groups with neo-Nazis, playing on Russian nostalgia for World War II heroes. Those assertions are scorned by Zelenskyy, who is Jewish.
Fate of Ukrainian people
President of Russia, Putin was for long quiet about his long-term objectives for Ukraine. “We want to allow the Ukrainian people to determine its own fate,” Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov hinted. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for Putin, said Russia recognizes Zelenskyy as president. But he would not say how long the Russian military operation could last.
After Russian forces invaded Ukraine from three sides and massed an estimated 150,000 troops nearby, Ukrainians had to quickly acclimatize to life under fire.
Screaming, smoke and flying dust greeted residents of a Kyiv residential complex. Russian shelling, according to the mayor, ripped a section of the building apart and set fire to it.
“What are you doing? What is this?” Yurii Zhyhanov, a local, inquired of Russian servicemen. He grabbed everything he could, took his mother, and escaped, vehicle alarms screeching behind him, just like many other Ukrainians.
A dead soldier’s body was discovered near an underpass in Kyiv. Among the brick dwellings of a residential neighborhood, fragments of a downed airplane blazed. Body parts discovered nearby were shrouded in black plastic. People emerged from bomb shelters, basements, and subway stations to confront yet another day of chaos.
“We’re all scared and worried. We don’t know what to do then, what’s going to happen in a few days,” said Lucy Vashaka, 20, a worker at a small Kyiv hotel.
Reporters from the Associated Press saw evidence of heavy fighting near Ivankiv, some 60 kilometers (40 miles) northwest of Kyiv. Russian troops also invaded Sumy, a city near the Russian border that stands on a route running east to Kyiv. On the outskirts of Kharkiv in the east, a Russian missile launcher was spotted.