GMDC: Ukraine Under Attack, Biden Promises More Sanctions

---

*All this and more ahead!

Good Morning DC!

Putin launched a “military operation” this morning in Eastern Ukraine around 5 AM local time. In a video address, Putin spoke for close to 30 minutes ahead of the invasion of Ukraine. He said that “truth and justice” are on his side. He said he must enter into Eastern Ukraine to protect the Russian people from “genocide.” He threatened, “Whoever tries to stand in our way or create threats for our country and people should know Russia’s response will be immediate and lead you to consequences you have never encountered in your history.”

And that is all coming from a county in possession of nuclear weapons. 

According to the latest news on the Kharkiv region, a civilian building was shelled, among other targets, and a boy was killed.

An adviser to Zelenskyy said that at least 40 soldiers were killed in Russian strikes. 

The President of Ukraine said that the sanctions will be removed from all citizens who are “ready to defend our state with weapons in their hands.”

President Zelenskyy reached out to Biden and the president “condemned this unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces.” Zelnenskyy asked Biden “to call on the leaders of the world to speak out clearly against President Putin’s flagrant aggression, and to stand with the people of Ukraine.” 

PM Boris Johnson addressed the nation at 12pm GMT and said regarding Russia’s attack on  Ukraine that “our worst fears have now come true.”

  

ON THIS DAY

On this day in 1868, the US President Andrew Johnson was impeached. The House voted 126–47 in favor of impeachment.

THE WHITE HOUSE

Today marks one year anniversary since President Biden enacted the America’s Supply Chain Executive Order.

Moving on  from the domestic agenda, due to the developments in Ukraine,  Biden will address the nation at noon today.

DIGITAL ASSETS

After Putin’s attack on Ukraine, Bitcoin price fell down.

“Very upset by Putin’s decision to abandon the possibility of a peaceful solution to the dispute with Ukraine and go to war instead,” said Vitalik Buterin of Ethereum. “Reminder: Ethereum is neutral, but I am not,” he added. 

FTX is venturing into the global luxury market and has hired beauty entrepreneur Lauren Remington Platt as its head of global luxury partnerships.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting regarding Putin’s military action on Ukraine. “President Putin, stop your troops from attacking Ukraine, give peace a chance. Too many people have already died,” Secretary-General António Guterres tried to appeal to Putin. 

Then, Guterres went even further in his effort to appeal to humanity. “I must change my address and say: In the name of humanity, bring your troops back to Russia. In the name of humanity, to not start what may be the most devastating war since the start of the century.”

Vasily Nebenzya, Russia’s representative to the United Nations has offered justification of Russia’s military operations under article 51 of the UN charter, which allows for ‘self-defense’ and Ukraine’s UN Ambassador said that Putin has “declared war on Ukraine.”

Johnson said that Putin has chosen a path of “destruction” and that the invasion of Ukraine is a “catastrophe for our continent.”

Today, Biden will be meeting with the Leaders of the G7 and its partners to impose “severe sanctions on Russia.” 

“It’s too late, my dear colleagues, to speak about de-escalation,” Ukrainian Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said during the emergency UN Security Council meeting. “I call on every one of you to do everything possible to stop the war.” 

NATO Secretary General called on Russia to immediately cease its military action and “choose diplomacy.” Stoltenberg warned that “we now have war in Europe on a scale and of a type we thought belonged to history.” A virtual NATO members’ summit will take place tomorrow to discuss the next course of action. “Peace cannot be taken for granted,” Stoltenberg said, adding that NATO has to respond, unified. “Democracy will prevail over autocracy,” he said.  

Stoltenberg said that NATO countries will impose “severe economic sanctions’ on Russia and help Ukraine in building military equipment. He said that NATO has over one hundred jets on high alert “protecting our airspace.” 

While this is all going on, PM of Pakistan, Imran Khan is meeting with Putin in Moscow.

And that’s a wrap for this Thursday morning, February 24, 2022. Good Morning DC will be back tomorrow to bring you the latest first. 

Thank you for reading GMDC! Please help us spread the word and expand our Good Morning DC by referring your friend to sign up here.

#GMDC

INTERVIEW