New Delhi: After Russian troops launched a wide-ranging attack on Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said the move was not directed to “infringe on the interests” of Kyiv and Ukrainian people. He said the recent military action is connected with defending Russia from “those who have taken Ukraine hostage”.Also Read – Over 40 Ukrainian Soldiers Dead, Dozens Injured in Russian Shelling | Key Points
“The current events have nothing to do with a desire to infringe on the interests of Ukraine and Ukrainian people. They are connected with defending Russia from those who have taken Ukraine hostage and are trying to use it against our country,” Vladimir Putin said, news agency ANI reported. Also Read – Waiting For Active Support From India In Stopping This War: Ukraine Amid Russian Invasion
“People living in territories which are part of today’s Ukraine were not asked how they want to build their lives when the USSR was created or after World War II people living in today’s Ukraine, anyone who want to do this, must be able to enjoy this right to make a free choice,” Putin said. Also Read – So Much Excitement: Imran Khan After Russia Launches Full Scale Invasion in Ukraine | Watch
The current events have nothing to do with a desire to infringe on the interests of Ukraine & Ukrainian people.They are connected with defending Russia from those who have taken Ukraine hostage & are trying to use it against our country:Russian Pres Vladimir Putin#UkraineCrisis pic.twitter.com/QiGAjKJ3p8
— ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2022
Russian troops attacked Ukraine on Thursday, as President Vladimir Putin cast aside international condemnation and sanctions and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere would lead to “consequences you have never seen.”
Ukrainian border guards released footage of what they said were Russian military vehicles moving in, and big explosions were heard in the capital Kyiv, Kharkiv in the east and Odesa in the west. As the Russian military claimed to have wiped out Ukraine’s entire air defenses in a matter of hours, Ukrainians fled some cities and European authorities declared Ukrainian air space an active conflict zone.
World leaders decried the start of a long-anticipated invasion with far-reaching consequences, as global financial markets plunged and oil prices soared. Russia’s actions could cause massive casualties, topple Ukraine’s democratically elected government and upend geopolitics and Europe’s post-Cold War security balance.
(With inputs from AP)
