'Russia Could Start A Major War In Europe': President Zelensky As Ukraine Enters Month-Long Emergency

Russia-Ukraine Crisis: A month-long state of nationwide emergency has been imposed on Ukraine starting at midnight on February 24, 2021.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky | Image: AFP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that an anticipated Russian invasion "could be the beginning of a big war on the European continent". 

In an address to the nation, shortly after midnight, President Zelensky said Russia can invade Ukraine "any day now" and that they are "ready to defend" themselves. A month-long state of nation-wide emergency has been imposed on Ukraine starting at midnight on February 24, 2021, PTI reported.

Meanwhile, the Russian government said that some eastern Ukrainian regions have asked Russia for help against what the Kremlin calls "aggression by the Ukraine government". Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared pro-Russia cities like Luhansk and Donetsk as  independent republics and plans to send Russian troops there as what he called “peacekeepers.”

The United States, along with other NATO allies has imposed sanctions on Russia after the aggression on the eastern border of Ukraine. The US believes that Russia can invade Ukraine in the coming days.

Speaking on NBC News, America's secretary of state Antony Blinken said, "Russia has positioned its forces at the final point of readiness across Ukraine’s borders to the north, to the east, to the south. Everything seems to be in place for Russia to engage in a major aggression against Ukraine."

President Putin’s actions demand a firm response. That’s why we’re imposing full blocking sanctions on VEB and Russia’s military bank, cutting off Russia from western financing, imposing sanctions on elites, and more.

We will continue to escalate sanctions if Russia escalates.

— President Biden (@POTUS) February 23, 2022

When Blinken was asked whether Russia would attack Ukraine today itself, he said, "Look, I can't put a date or an exact time on it but everything is in place for Russia to move forward."