Russia declared war on Ukraine on Thursday morning, with explosions beginning around Kyiv shortly after 5am.
Blasts were also heard in Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv, and the Black Sea ports of Odessa and Mariupol, where Russian troops have landed.
At least 40 Ukrainian soldiers and a child have been killed as of midday on Thursday, with many more civilians wounded.
President Volodymyr Zelensky issued a call to arms to Ukrainians, telling the nation’s citizens: “We are defending our country, we fight for our country and we protect our country.
“We will give weapons to anyone who wants to defend the country. Be ready to support Ukraine in the squares of our cities.”
His remarks came as Ukrainians began fleeing the country with roads gridlocked, underground train stations packed and queues at bus stops, petrol stations and cash machines.
Others sheltered in Kyiv’s subway stations, while wounded citizens have been pictured in the capital.
A key source of the friction that led to Russia’s invasion has been Ukraine’s desire to join Nato – something President Putin strongly opposes.
Nato stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, and is also known as the North Atlantic Alliance.
Its purpose is to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means.
Nato was founded in April 1949 in Washington DC. Its headquarters are in Brussels in Belgium.
Politically, it aims to promote democratic values, and enables members to consult and co-operate on defence and security-related issues to solve problems, build trust and, in the long run, prevent conflict.
Regarding military action, Nato says it is “committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes”.
If diplomatic efforts fail, it has the military power to undertake crisis-management operations.
It uses a system of collective security, whereby its independent member states agree to mutual defence in response to an attack by any external party. It may also ally with external forces.
There are currently 30 countries in Nato; 27 in Europe, two in North America and one in Eurasia.
Here are the countries, along with the year they joined:
Nato says its membership is open to “any other European state in a position to further the principles” of its treaty and to “contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area”.
In response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, Nato increased its presence in the eastern part of the alliance, including with four multinational battlegroups in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.
These units, led by the UK, Canada, Germany and the US respectively, are multinational, and combat-ready.
Nato says: “Their presence makes clear that an attack on one Ally will be considered an attack on the whole Alliance. There were no Nato forces in the eastern part of the Alliance before 2014.”
After Russia’s invasion, Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday: “This is a grave breach of international law, and a serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security.
“We stand with the people of Ukraine at this terrible time. Nato will do all it takes to protect and defend all allies.”
He added that the allies were meeting “to address the consequences of Russia’s aggressive actions”.
A first step now could be to activate the Nato Response Force (NRF), which can number up to 40,000 troops. A quickly deployable land brigade that is part of the NRF – made up of around 5,000 troops and run by France alongside Germany, Poland, Portugal and Spain – is already on heightened alert.
Some Nato members have also sent troops, aircraft and warships to the Black Sea region, near allies Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey.
The Pentagon has put up to 8,500 US troops on heightened alert, so they will be prepared to deploy if needed to reassure other allies.
United Kingdom
Boris Johnson promised a “massive” package of economic measures in tandem with the US and European Union on Thursday.
In a sombre address to the nation, the Prime Minister said the world cannot stand by and allow the freedom of Ukraine to be “snuffed out”, as Moscow hit its neighbour with a wide-ranging attack, targeting cities and bases with air strikes or shelling.
“This act of wanton and reckless aggression is an attack not just on Ukraine, it’s an attack on democracy and freedom in eastern Europe and around the world,” he said from Downing Street.
A “vast invasion” has been launched by land, sea and air and “innumerable missiles and bombs have been raining down on an entirely innocent population”, he added.
“Today in concert with our allies we will agree a massive package of economic sanctions designed in time to hobble the Russian economy.
“Diplomatically, politically, economically, and, eventually, militarily, this hideous and barbaric venture of Vladimir Putin must end in failure.”
The UK recently sent a group of around 30 elite troops and 2,000 anti-tank missile launchers to Ukraine, and is currently leading a multinational battlegroup of 831 troops from Denmark, France and Iceland based in Estonia.
United States
US President Joe Biden has denounced Russia’s decision to conduct a military operation in Ukraine as an “unprovoked and unjustified attack”, declaring “the world will hold Russia accountable”.
“President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering. 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,” he added.
The US leads a Nato multinational battlegroup stationed in Poland made up of over 1,000 Croatian, Romanian and British troops.
France
French President Emmanuel Macron says France and its European allies did everything to try to head off the attack on Ukraine. He said that they will show “no weakness” in their response.
He said in a televised address to the nation Thursday that Russia’s attack is a “turning point in European history” and as a result “there will be profound consequences for our continent and changes in our lives.”
He added: “To this act of war, we will reply without weakness, we will reply calmly and in a determined and united manner.”
Germany
Germany leads a group of states in a multinational battlegroup with more than 1,200 troops from Belgium, Czech Republic, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway, which is based in Lithuania.
Germany has also halted the approval of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline – a 1,200km gas pipeline that runs under the Baltic Sea, from the Russian coast near St Petersburg to Lubmin in Germany.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced on Tuesday that certification of the project cannot go ahead following Russia’s actions against Ukraine.
Canada
Canada is leading one of the multinational battlegroups from Latvia which contains more than 1,500 troops.
It has also offered a loan of up to $95.6m (£71m) to Ukraine in order to support its economy.
Greece
Greek Government minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis has said that Greece will support a strong EU reaction to any Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Russia had been amassing up to 200,000 troops along the Ukraine border for weeks, amid threats of international sanctions.
President Putin said the military operation was needed to protect civilians in eastern Ukraine – a claim the US had predicted he would falsely make to justify an invasion.
He accused the US and its allies of ignoring Russia’s demands to block Ukraine from ever joining Nato and to offer Moscow security guarantees.
The Russian leader said Russia does not intend to occupy Ukraine but will “demilitarise” it.
Ukraine declared itself independent of the Soviet Union in August 1991 and moved to a market economy, but there has been tension between its old ties to Russia and new allegiances with Western nations ever since.
Things escalated when Russia seized and annexed the Crimean peninsula in southern Ukraine in 2014, in response to Ukrainians ousting their pro-Russian president through mass protests.
Russia vehemently opposes Nato’s expansion to include Ukraine, and has demanded a formal veto on it ever becoming a member.
President Putin has made clear that he sees the country’s aspirations to join the group as a threat to Russia’s borders and its sphere of influence.
Five Nato countries currently border Russia after former Soviet states Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania became members.
In December last year, President Putin said Russia will seek “reliable and long-term security guarantees” from the US and its allies “that would exclude any further Nato moves eastward and the deployment of weapons systems that threaten us in close vicinity to Russian territory”.
And on Monday in an angry televised address from the Kremlin, President Putin said: “Ukraine is an inalienable part of our own history, culture and spiritual space. These are our comrades, those dearest to us – not only colleagues, friends and people who once served together, but also relatives, people bound by blood, by family ties.”
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