Ukraine Attacked
President Biden: "President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering. 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. The world will hold Russia accountable. I will meet with my G7 counterparts in the morning and then speak to the American people to announce the further consequences the United States and our Allies and partners will impose on Russia for this needless act of aggression against Ukraine and global peace and security. We will also coordinate with our NATO Allies to ensure a strong, united response that deters any aggression against the Alliance."
EU's Ursula von der Leyen: "We will not let President Putin tear down Europe's security architecture. He should not underestimate the resolve and strength of our democracies. The European Union stands with Ukraine and its people. Ukraine will prevail. We condemn this barbaric attack, and the cynical arguments used to justify it. Later today we will present a package of massive, targeted sanctions. The sanctions will target strategic sectors of Russia's economy. We will freeze Russian assets in the EU and stop access of Russian banks to our financial market. This is designed to take a heavy toll on the Kremlin's ability to finance war."
NATO's Jens Stoltenberg: "Once again, despite our repeated warnings and tireless efforts to engage in diplomacy, Russia has chosen the path of aggression against a sovereign and independent country. This is a grave breach of international law, and a serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security. I call on Russia to cease its military action immediately and respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. NATO Allies will meet to address the consequences of Russia's aggressive actions. We stand with the people of Ukraine at this terrible time. NATO will do all it takes to protect and defend all Allies."
EUROPEAN COMMISSION FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF JOSEP BORRELL: "These are among the darkest hours of Europe since the Second World War. The EU will respond in the strongest possible terms and agree on the harshest package of sanctions we have ever implemented."
GERMAN CHANCELLOR OLAF SCHOLZ: "Putin is bringing suffering and destruction to his direct neighbours, he is violating the sovereignty and borders of Ukraine. He is endangering the lives of countless innocent people (and)... the peace order on our continent. For all that there is no justification. This is Putin's war."
GERMAN ECONOMY MINISTER ROBERT HABECK: "We have a land war in Europe that we thought was only to find in history books... For Russia, this attack will have severe political and economic consequences."
FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON: "The events of last night mark a turning point in the history of Europe. We will respond to this act of war without weakness, with cold blood, determination and unity."
BRITISH PRIME MINISTER BORIS JOHNSON: "President Putin has chosen a path of bloodshed and destruction by launching this unprovoked attack on Ukraine... This is a catastrophe for our continent."
ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER MARIO DRAGHI: "We have our allies at our side... Together we will do whatever it takes to preserve Ukraine's sovereignty, Europe's security, and the integrity of the international order based on the rules and values we all share."
CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON HUA CHUNYING: "You are using a typical Western media question method of using the word invasion. China is closely monitoring the latest situation. We call on all sides to exercise restraint to prevent the situation from getting out of control."
DRAFT ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS STATEMENT SEEN BY REUTERS: "We call on all parties concerned to exercise maximum restraint, to pursue dialogue through all channels... to prevent ..further escalation and to see peaceful resolution in accordance with international law and the United Nations Charter."
GERMAN ARMY CHIEF LIEUTENANT GENERAL ALFONS MAIS: "In my 41th year of peace-time service, I would not have thought that I would have to experience a war. And the Bundeswehr, the army which I have the honour to command, is standing there more or less empty-handed. The options we can offer the government in support of the (NATO) alliance are extremely limited... We have all seen it coming but were not able to get through with our arguments to draw the consequences after (Russia's) annexation of Crimea. This does not feel good. I am fed up with it."
TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY: "This attack is a grave violation of international law and poses a serious threat to the security of our region and the world. We call on the Russian Federation to immediately end this unjust and unlawful act."
HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER VIKTOR ORBAN: "With our EU and NATO allies, we condemn Russia's military attack."
PORTUGUESE PRIME MINISTER ANTONIO COSTA: "The answer to this crisis should be a diplomatic solution... NATO will not intervene or act in Ukraine. Ukrainian citizens who have family, friends and acquaintances here are welcome in Portugal."
ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER YAIR LAPID: "Russia's attack on Ukraine is a grave breach of international order. Israel condemns the attack."
RUSSIAN EX-OIL TYCOON AND ARCH KREMLIN CRITIC MIKHAIL KHODORKOVSKY: "It is Putin and his entourage who started the war in order to hold on to their power - not the Russian people. Unleashing a war of aggression and using the armed forces for personal gain signifies that a junta led by Putin has seized power in Russia."
BRAZILIAN VICE-PRESIDENT HAMILTON MOURAO: “The Western world is the same (place) as it was in 1938 with Hitler, on the basis of appeasement, and Putin did not respect the appeasement. That's the truth. In my view, mere economic sanctions — which is an intermediate form of sanction — do not work. The use of force is needed, a support for Ukraine, more than what is being put on. That's my view. If the Western world just let Ukraine falls, Bulgaria will be next, then the Baltic States, and so on. Just as Hitler's Germany did in the 1930s.”
