Zelensky: Martial law only if Russia starts full-scale invasion of Ukraine
Martial law will be declared in Ukraine only in the event of a "full-scale" invasion by Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Feb. 22 after the Kremlin recognized the "independence" of non-government-controlled parts of Ukraine’s Donbas region.
According to Zelensky, despite Russian aggression, he does not believe that there will be a “mass escalation” between Russia and Ukraine.
“Concerning martial law, it’s very simple – this question is clear to us: We believe that there will be no all-out war against Ukraine, and there will be no mass escalation on the part of the Russian side,” Zelensky said during a briefing following talks with visiting Estonian President Alar Karis.
“If there is, martial law will be introduced.”
The day before, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a speech in which he announced the recognition of the "independence" of the self-declared “republics” in the non-government-controlled parts of Ukraine’s Donbas region.
This happened amid an escalation provoked by the Russian Federation in the Donbas and the threat of an invasion by Russia of even more parts of Ukraine.
Later, President Zelensky, in an address to the nation, said that the Kremlin’s further invasion of Ukraine "may mean Russia's unilateral withdrawal from the Minsk agreements."
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell denounced Russia’s actions and expressed support for the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
U.S. President Joe Biden has introduced sanctions against the Russian proxy statelets, and the United Kingdom has begun to sanction Russian banks and high net worth individuals.
The German government called the actions of the Russian authorities "a serious blow to all diplomatic efforts.” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that he was suspending the certification process for the Russian Nord Stream-2 pipeline, effectively preventing it from operating.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
