Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion despite tough sanctions imposed by the international community and widespread condemnation, including NATO’s North Atlantic Council, the United Nations and G7 leaders.
Zelensky on Thursday compared Russia’s actions to those of the Soviet Union, describing the invasion as “the sound of a new iron curtain falling and closing Russia off from the civilized world.”
He asked world leaders for “powerful assistance” to fight Russia on multiple fronts, saying that if they don’t, “tomorrow war will knock at your door.”
To that end, President Joe Biden said he was sending additional troops to Germany to bolster NATO members against Russian aggression, though he made it clear that US forces would not be on the front lines of the conflict. Instead, he announced new sanctions that included freezing the assets of the four biggest Russian banks, export controls and sanctioning more oligarchs and their families.
“This is a dangerous moment for freedom in all of Europe and the world,” he said.
