Russian President Putin declares ‘war’ against Ukraine: 10 points

Here’s what you need to know about this big news

• Explosions were heard in Ukraine’s capital Kiev and the eastern port city of Mariupol before dawn on Thursday, shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a campaign to “demilitarize” the country.
• Ukraine’s ambassador to the United Nations has told the Security Council that Russian President Vladimir Putin has “declared war on Ukraine. He also pressured his Russian counterpart to say that Russia will not bomb and bomb Ukrainian cities.” .
• President Joe Biden called the move “an unprovoked and unwarranted attack by Russian military forces” and added that “the world will hold Russia accountable.”
• The move came as members of the UN Security Council also urged Putin not to proceed, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in a rare direct petition to Putin. “I have only one thing to say from the bottom of my heart: President Putin, stop your troops from invading Ukraine. Give peace a chance. Too many people are already dead,” Guterres said.
• brent oil It hit $100 a barrel for the first time since 2014 as Russia’s dramatic escalation of the Ukraine crisis raised fears of disruption to the region’s vital energy exports. Russia is the world’s second largest oil producer, selling crude mainly to European refineries, and the largest supplier of natural gas to Europe, providing about 35% of its supply.
• Indian EquityAndis fell sharply. As of 9:19 am, the benchmark BSE Sensex fell 1,458 points or 2.55 per cent to 55,774; While the broader NSE Nifty fell 416 points or 2.43 per cent to 16,646.
• Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Thursday that Japan would work with G7 members and the international community on Ukraine’s issues, but they were still in the process of gathering information.
• “I strongly condemn Russia’s reckless and unprovoked attack on Ukraine, which puts countless civilian lives at risk. Once again, despite our repeated warnings and relentless efforts to engage in diplomacy, Russia has declared a sovereign and has chosen the path of aggression against an independent country,” NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement.
• The US and its allies have warned for weeks about the possibility of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including the capital Kiev, estimating that Putin had raised 150,000 troops to the border.
• Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an address to the nation that any Russian move to aid separatists in the eastern part of Ukraine could escalate tensions. In his speech, Zelensky said Ukraine was not a threat to Russia, but would defend itself if attacked. He said Putin did not respond to a request to speak on the phone on Wednesday.