World Leaders Condemn Putin’s ‘Barbaric’ Invasion Of Ukraine, Israel Avoids Direct Criticism

NEW YORK (VINnews) — World leaders were quick to condemn the Russian invasion of the Ukraine.

• President Moon Jae-in of South Korea said that “the use of force that causes innocent casualties is not justified in any case, and Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial preservation must be guaranteed.” He added that South Korea would be joining the economic sanctions against Russia.
• Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission said that the bloc condemned Russia’s “barbaric” invasion of Ukraine and the “cynical arguments to justify it.”
• President Biden plans to impose what he called “severe sanctions” against Russia on Thursday during a public address on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as explosions rocked cities across the country and signaled the start of a large-scale assault. “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,” Biden said.
• President Emmanuel Macron of France said on Twitter that his country “firmly condemns Russia’s decision to wage war against Ukraine” and that “Russia must immediately put an end to all its military operations.”
• Prime Minister Arturs Krisjanis Karins of Latvia called for a consultation among NATO member nations based on Article 4.
• “Russia has chosen war,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia said at a news conference on Thursday afternoon during which he condemned the “brutal invasion” of Ukraine and denounced Russia’s “unilateral hostile actions.”
• Israel, seeking to avoid antagonizing a key military power in the Middle East, avoided direct criticism of Russia on Thursday morning after Moscow began its attack on Ukraine.

  The Israeli Foreign Ministry simply noted in a statement that the conflict had entered “a new and difficult stage” and told Israel’s estimated 8,000 citizens in Ukraine to leave via land crossings in the country’s west. The ministry had avoided even mentioning Russia in a statement on Wednesday, saying only that “Israel supports the territorial integrity and the sovereignty of Ukraine.”