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."
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."