The Western World Acts After Russia Invades Ukraine
In the early hours of Thursday, Feb. 25, under orders from President Vladimir Putin, the Russian army invaded Ukraine, plunging Europe into war. After weeks of fearing a possible invasion, missiles began hitting Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, before daybreak.
In a televised speech to the nation, Putin justified the military intrusion with the invocation of Article 51 (Chapter VII) of the UN Charter alongside unfounded claims that Ukraine had been taken over by neo-Nazis. He also stated, “no matter who tries to stand in our way or all the more so create threats for our country and our people, they must know that Russia will respond immediately, and the consequences will be as you have never seen in your entire history.”
The decision was met by immediate condemnation and protests from around the world. In a statement released shortly after the invasion began, President Biden condemned the attack, affirming that “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.” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also strongly rebuked the invasion, echoing Biden’s statement, and adding that “Russia’s brazen acts {would not} go unpunished.”
The G7 met early Thursday morning to discuss a coordinated Western response to the invasion. Along with Canada’s Trudeau, President Biden spoke with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, and European Council President Charles Michael. In a joint statement, the leaders decried Putin’s decision and reiterated that they would be “bringing forward severe and coordinated economic and financial sanctions.”
The American domestic response has been overwhelmingly bipartisan, with Democrats and Republicans determined to strike Russia with harsher sanctions. Just a week prior to the invasion, the US Senate had voted unanimously to affirm support for Ukraine and condemn the Russian military buildup, with Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) declaring “this Congress is united in its support of Ukrainian independence and sovereignty.”
Shortly after the invasion started, US Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), who chairs the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, emphasized that he, along with his colleagues, would be “committed to ensuring that the United States upholds our responsibility to exact maximum costs on Putin, the Russian economy, and those who enabled and facilitated this trampling of Ukraine’s sovereignty.”
Several US politicians have urged the Biden administration and European allies to escalate economic damages to Russia by removing the country from the SWIFT banking system, a platform that enables international transactions. Experts have stated that such a removal would devastate the Russian economy, particularly the 40 percent of total revenue it receives from sales of natural resources. President Biden and other European leaders have shied away from making the decision, although Biden himself has stated that such a decision could be taken in the future. As the war continues with no end in sight, what Western leaders will ultimately be compelled to do remains to be seen.