World leaders have joined President Joe Biden in his condemnation of Russia’s attacks on Ukraine and vowed to hold Moscow accountable.
“Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way,” Biden tweeted late Wednesday after Ukrainian officials reported that cruise or ballistic missiles targeted military control centers in the area around the capital Kyiv and attacks were reported elsewhere in the country.
“The world will hold Russia accountable,” Biden added.
Many European leaders followed suit including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who also took to Twitter to say that Russian President Putin had “chosen the path of bloodshed.”
French President Emmanuel Macron also tweeted that Russia should end its military operations immediately, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also took to social media to call them “a reckless act.”
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo tweeted that it was “Europe’s darkest hour since” since World War II. “Our hearts and minds are with the people of Ukraine,” he said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also tweeted that the European Union would “present a package of massive targeted sanctions” on Thursday.
Eastern European leaders were also quick to condemn Russia’s actions.
In Romania, which borders Ukraine to the south and could see an influx of refugees, President Klaus Iohannis called the invasion “another grave breach of international law.”
To Ukraine’s west in Poland, President Andrzej Duda tweeted that Russia had violated the norms of international law, while the Czech Republic’s Prime Minister Petr Fiala tweeted that Putin’s actions could not go unanswered.
Outside of Europe, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that Russia’s “unprovoked actions are a clear further violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison also told a news conference that his country was banding together with the international community “to condemn these outrageous acts in the strongest possible terms.”
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Russia’s actions “struck at the very core foundation of our international order,” while South Korea said it will joined in the internationally coordinated slew of sanctions against Russia.
Yair Lapid, Israel’s foreign minister also called the attacks a “serious violation of the international order.” He added that his country “has experienced wars, and war is not the way to resolve conflicts.”
Meanwhile, Biden is set to meet with G7 leaders later to discuss ramping up sanctions against Russia.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
