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world news Diabierna 25 Februari 2022

Russia attacks Ukraine; peace in Europe ‘shattered’

(AP) — Russia launched rity order. The conflict was sia’s industries and military
a wide-ranging attack on already shaking global finan- of U.S. semiconductors and
Ukraine on Thursday, hit- cial markets: Stocks plunged other high-tech components.
ting cities and bases with and oil prices soared amid
airstrikes or shelling, as concerns that heating bills In a worrying development,
civilians piled into trains and food prices would sky- Zelenskyy said Russian forces
and cars to flee. Ukraine’s rocket. were trying to seize the Cher-
government said Russian nobyl plant, and a Ukrainian
tanks and troops rolled Condemnation rained down official said Russian shelling
across the border in a not only from the U.S. and hit a radioactive waste reposi-
“full-scale war” that could Europe, but from South Ko- tory and an increase in radia-
rewrite the geopoliti- rea, Australia and beyond tion levels was reported. The
cal order and whose fall- — and many governments official spoke on condition of
out already reverberated readied new sanctions. Even anonymity to discuss the sen-
around the world. friendly leaders like Hun- sitive matter.
gary’s Viktor Orban sought
In unleashing Moscow’s to distance themselves from Other governments did not
most aggressive action since Putin. immediately corroborate or
the Soviet invasion of Af- confirm the claims.
ghanistan in 1979, President Ukrainian President Volody-
Vladimir Putin deflected myr Zelenskyy cut diplo- The plant was the site of the claims about damage they
global condemnation and matic ties with Moscow and world’s worst nuclear ac- had inflicted. Russia’s De- In a reminder of Russia’s
cascading new sanctions — declared martial law. cident when a nuclear reac- fense Ministry said it had de- nuclear power, he warned
and chillingly referred to his tor exploded in April 1986, stroyed scores of Ukrainian that “no one should have any
country’s nuclear arsenal. He His adviser Mykhailo Po- spewing radioactive waste air bases, military facilities doubts that a direct attack on
threatened any foreign coun- dolyak said: “A full-scale across Europe. The plant lies and drones, and confirmed our country will lead to the
try attempting to interfere war in Europe has begun. 130 kilometers (80 miles) the loss of a Su-25 attack jet, destruction and horrible con-
with “consequences you have ... Russia is not only attack- north of the capital of Kyiv. blaming it on “pilot error.” It sequences for any potential
never seen.” ing Ukraine, but the rules said it was not targeting cities, aggressor.”
of normal life in the modern After weeks of denying plans but using precision weapons
Ukraine’s president said world.” to invade, Putin launched and claimed that “there is no Among Putin’s pledges was
Russian forces were trying to the operation on a country threat to civilian population.” to “denazify” Ukraine. World
seize the Chernobyl nucle- While some nervous Eu- the size of Texas that has in- War II looms large in Russia,
ar plant, site of the world’s ropeans speculated about a creasingly tilted toward the Ukraine’s armed forces They after the Soviet Union suf-
worst nuclear disaster, and possible new world war, the democratic West and away reported at least 40 soldiers fered more deaths than any
Ukrainian forces were bat- U.S. and its NATO partners from Moscow’s sway. The dead, and said a military plane country while fighting Adolf
tling other troops just miles have so far shown no indi- autocratic leader made clear carrying 14 people crashed Hitler’s forces.
from Kyiv for control of a cation they would join in a earlier this week that he sees south of Kyiv.
strategic airport. Large explo- war against Russia. They in- no reason for Ukraine to ex- Kremlin propaganda paints
sions were heard in the capi- stead mobilized troops and ist, raising fears of possible Poland’s military increased members of Ukrainian right-
tal there and in other cities, equipment around Ukraine’s broader conflict in the vast its readiness level, and Lithu- wing groups as neo-Nazis,
and people massed in train western flank — as Ukraine space that the Soviet Union ania and Moldova moved exploiting their admiration
stations and took to roads, as pleaded for defense assis- once ruled. Putin denied toward doing the same. Bor- for WWII-era Ukrainian na-
the government said the for- tance and help protecting its plans to occupy Ukraine, der crossings increased from tionalist leaders who sided
mer Soviet republic was see- airspace. but his ultimate goals remain Ukraine to Poland, which has with the Nazis. Ukraine is
ing a long-anticipated inva- hazy. prepared centers for refugees. now led by a Jewish president
sion from the east, north and In Washington, President who lost relatives in the Ho-
south. Joe Biden convened a meet- Ukraine’s military chief Vale- Putin justified his actions in locaust and angrily dismissed
ing of the National Security rii Zaluzhnyi said his troops an overnight televised ad- the Russian claims.
The chief of the NATO al- Council on Thursday to dis- were fighting Russian forces dress, asserting that the at-
liance said the “brutal act cuss Ukraine as the U.S. pre- just 7 kilometers (4 miles) tack was needed to protect Putin’s announcement came
of war” shattered peace in pares new sanctions. Biden from the capital — in Hos- civilians in eastern Ukraine just hours after the Ukrainian
Europe, joining a chorus of administration officials have tomel, which is home to the — a false claim the U.S. had president rejected Moscow’s
world leaders who decried signaled that two of the mea- Antonov aircraft maker and predicted he would make as claims that his country poses
the attack, which could cause sures they were considering has a runway that is long a pretext for an invasion. He a threat to Russia and made a
massive casualties, topple most strongly include hit- enough to handle even the accused the U.S. and its allies passionate, last-minute plea
Ukraine’s democratically ting Russia’s biggest banks biggest cargo planes. Russian of ignoring Russia’s demands for peace.
elected government and up- and slapping on new export officials said separatist forces to prevent Ukraine from
end the post-Cold War secu- controls meant to starve Rus- backed by Russia in the east joining NATO and for secu- Zelenskyy said he asked to
have taken a new strip of ter- rity guarantees. arrange a call with Putin late
ritory from Ukrainian forces, Wednesday, but the Kremlin
but have not acknowledged The consequences of the did not respond.
ground troops elsewhere in conflict and resulting sanc-
the country. tions on Russia reverberated The attack began even as the
throughout the world. U.N. Security Council was
Associated Press reporters meeting to hold off an inva-
saw or confirmed explosions World stock markets plunged sion. Members still unaware
in the capital, in Mariupol and oil prices on both sides of Putin’s announcement
on the Azov Sea, Kharkiv in of the Atlantic surged toward of the operation appealed to
the east and beyond. AP con- or above $100 per barrel, on him to stand down. U.N.
firmed video showing Rus- unease about possible disrup- Secretary-General Antonio
sian military vehicles crossing tion of Russian supplies. The Guterres opened the emer-
into Ukrainian-held territory ruble sank. gency meeting, telling Putin:
in the north from Belarus “Give peace a chance.”
and from Russian-annexed Anticipating international
Crimea in the south. condemnation and coun- But hours later, NATO’s Jens
termeasures, Putin issued a Stoltenberg indicated it was
Russian and Ukrainian au- stark warning to other coun- too late: “Peace on our conti-
thorities made competing tries not to meddle. nent has been shattered.”