Breaking news on the Russia-Ukraine crisis continues to come. Russia’s recognition of the independence of two regions in Donbas in eastern Ukraine has escalated tensions. The world went into a state of alarm as sanctions were taken one after another by the West against Putin. While Russia orders its armies to enter eastern Ukraine, Western countries state that Moscow is planning a much larger invasion, and may even invade all of Ukraine. A hot conflict is expected to start at any moment in the region.
Here are the minute-by-minute events in the region during the Russia-Ukraine crisis;
10.59 : President of Ukraine Zelenskiy called for reservists between the ages of 18-60 to serve for a maximum of 1 year.
10.20 : The White House announced that the planned summit between Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden will not take place after Russia’s advance towards separatist regions in Ukraine.
10.00 : Ukraine’s Ambassador to Ankara, Vasyl Bodnar, said at the press conference broadcast live on television that there was a possibility that Russia could attack his country from different routes. Ambassador Bodnar said, “Russia is sending invading armies.”
The Ukrainian diplomat reaffirmed the Kiev administration’s commitment to diplomacy to resolve the crisis, but stressed that sanctions are the most effective way if diplomacy is found to be not working.
Expressing that they welcomed Germany’s shelving of Nord Stream 2 and the sanctions announced by other Western countries, Ambassador Bodnar called for sanctions on other countries.
According to the Ukrainian diplomat, the best response to Russian aggression would be Ukraine’s admission to NATO membership.
09.15 : The foreign ministers of both Australia and New Zealand summoned Russia’s ambassadors on Wednesday, expressing their opposition to Putin’s actions.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his government has yet to take the step to expel Russia’s ambassador, but is discussing the option with leaders of other countries.
Expelling an ambassador is considered one of the most serious foreign diplomacy measures.
09.05 : Russian President Vladimir Putin said that they are ready to seek a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis. Putin also stressed that Russia’s security and interests are non-negotiable.
08.20 : Aiming at Russia, which faced a major sanctions storm, Australia announced additional sanctions on Moscow. The first sanctions package, which imposed a travel ban on eight Russian Security Council members, also includes economic items.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin will most likely take action within 24 hours to invade all of Ukraine.
Morrison also instructed the immigration office to prioritize visa applications of people who want to come to his country from Ukraine. There are currently around 430 applications, including student visas, family visas and other visa types.
While approximately 38 thousand people of Ukrainian origin live in Australia; Prime Minister Morrison also stated that around 1,400 Australian citizens are currently in Ukraine.
08.15 : The American Associated Press (AP) news agency released photos of tanks moving in Donetsk and Lugansk in eastern Ukraine at 00:52 at midnight.
Recognizing the independence of the region under the control of pro-Russian separatists for eight years, Russian President Vladimir Putin also announced that he would send troops to Donetsk and Lugansk.
08:00 : Satellite photos show that Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who has recognized the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk governments on paper, is making the final preparations for an attack on Ukraine.
07.55 : Japan has joined the list of countries that have announced sanctions against Russia. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who was in front of the cameras, emphasized that Russia responded to its aggression in Ukraine with sanctions.
Announcing that he will ban the issuance of Russian bonds in his country, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that a visa ban and asset freezes will also be implemented for some Russians.
Kishida noted that Moscow’s decision to send troops to eastern Ukraine constitutes a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty. Tokyo is ready to implement additional measures should tensions escalate.
07.45 : United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres said that the soldiers that Russia will send to Donetsk and Lugansk, which recognizes their independence, cannot be defined as “peacekeepers”. “Russia’s decision to recognize the so-called independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions is a violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Guterres said.
07.40 : Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country would send hundreds more troops to Eastern Europe and impose new sanctions on Russia.
07.35 : US Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, tomorrow. Blinken, who hosted Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba in Washington, stated that he sent a letter to Lavrov at the joint press conference, conveying his decision not to attend the meeting. The US Secretary of State said, “There is no point in the meeting now that the invasion has taken place.”
RUSSIA evacuates KIEV EMBASSY
07.25 : Demonstrations were held in support of Ukraine in many European countries. Ukrainians living in many countries from Germany to Czechia and France took to the streets to protest Russian leader Putin.
Protesters demanding that Putin be stopped carried banners such as ‘Hands off from Ukraine’, ‘Putin fight’, ‘Go home to Moscow’, ‘Stop the war’ and ‘Say no to Putin’.
The crowd marching to the Russian Embassy in Berlin, the capital of Germany, held banners as well as Ukrainian flags.
In Ukraine, there were demonstrations in many cities. One of the banners unfurled by those gathered in front of the Russian Embassy in the capital, Kiev, was meaningful: ‘Empires must die!’
Russia announced that its staff at the Kiev Embassy will be evacuated in the evening. Moscow argues that its diplomats have received numerous threats.
BIDEN ANNOUNCED TO THE WORLD
07.10 : US President Joe Biden made his expected speech on Tuesday evening, declaring the sanctions that will hit Russia in front of the cameras to the world.
The most important item in Washington’s sanctions package was to prevent Russia from borrowing from Western countries. Moscow will no longer be able to obtain money from the West, nor will it be able to trade in the US or European markets.
Noting that his Russian counterpart, Putin, made excuses to invade Ukraine, Joe Biden announced that sanctions would be imposed on Russia’s two major financial institutions, VEB bank and army bank.
The US leader said Russia’s elite figures and their family members will also be targeted in a few days.
Stating that they will increase the sanctions if the tension escalates, Biden emphasized that Russia violates the territorial integrity of its neighbors and violates international law. The US President added that he has approved the sending of more US troops to Eastern European countries.
