Raul Ruiz (D-California) said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “threatens peace and stability around the globe” as the U.S. and its allies have enacted fresh sanctions on Russia.
Russian forces invaded its neighbor Ukraine early on Feb. 24, and the historic Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor site quickly fell into Russian hands. The attack incited outrage around the globe, and public officials like Ruiz quickly took to social media to condemn President Vladimir Putin and his aggressive tactics.
“I stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people to protect their sovereignty, and my prayers are with them,” Ruiz said in a Tweet posted Feb. 24. “The United States and our allies will work closely together to deter and defend against further Russian aggression and to hold Vladimir Putin accountable for his actions.”
Russia began by unleashing airstrikes on cities and military bases, then sent troops and tanks from three sides in an attack “that could rewrite the global post-Cold War security order,” according to a story by the Associated Press.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Putin “plans to reconstitute the Soviet Empire,” and the offensive on Kyiv could mean that the Ukrainian capital is “already under siege.”
President Joe Biden announced sanctions shortly after the invasion, and several other nations quickly followed suit. Biden said Putin “chose this war” and has a “sinister” view of the world, the Associated Press reported.
“It was always about naked aggression, about Putin’s desire for empire by any means necessary,” he said, “by bullying Russia’s neighbors through coercion and corruption, by changing borders by force, and, ultimately, by choosing a war without a cause,” Biden said.
In a Twitter post, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy compared the Russian invasion to Nazi Germany invading Europe to begin World War II, and condemned Putin’s actions.
“Russia has embarked on a path of evil, but Ukraine is defending itself and won’t give up its freedom,” he said.