Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine received widespread international condemnation, including new sanctions imposed on Russia, triggering a Russian financial crisis. The invasion led to widespread boycotts of Russia and Belarus in the areas of entertainment, media, business, and sport.

Nations

Africa

•  Algeria – The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it was “following developments in the situation in the Republic of Ukraine”. It also called for Algerians in Ukraine to adhere to instructions given by the Algerian embassy.
•  Angola – The Angolan Government urged the parties involved in the conflict to observe a ceasefire and warned that the conflict, in addition to causing human and material damage, had resulted in “a climate of tension between the two countries, with international proportions”. The Angolan Ministry of Foreign Affairs defends that “the parties must strive for the peaceful resolution of the conflict.”
•  Botswana – Botswana was one of the 87 signatories to the UN letter condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
•  Cabo Verde – The Prime Minister of Cabo Verde José Ulisses Correia e Silva condemned in a Facebook post the invasion of Ukraine and called for the search for solutions through diplomatic channels and dialogue.
•  Egypt – Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly stated his government is monitoring the crisis, and he expressed his desire for the situation to be resolved soon.
•  Eritrea – Eritrea was one of five countries to vote against the UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russia.
•  Ethiopia – The Ethiopian Embassy in Berlin urged Ethiopians in Ukraine to cross the border into Poland.
•  Gabon – Gabon participated in the United States led Joint Statement following a vote on a UN Security Council resolution on Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine.
•  Gambia – Gambia cosponsored the Albanian-American led statement at the UN Security Council resolution condemning Russia.
•  Ghana – Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchway condemned the invasion.
•  Kenya – Kenya participated in the United States led Joint Statement following a vote on a UN Security Council resolution on Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine.
•  Lesotho – Lesotho participated in the United States led Joint Statement following a vote on a UN Security Council resolution on Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine.
•  Liberia – Liberia condemned the invasion.
•  Libya – Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush condemned Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine as a violation of international law, and called on Moscow “to calm and retreat.”
•  Malawi – President Lazarus Chakwera urged Russia to withdraw.
•  Mauritius – The Mauritian government has called for a peaceful resolution of the conflict and joined the call to return to peaceful dialogue between the conflicting parties.
•  Morocco – Morocco reiterated its support for the territorial integrity of all UN states.
•  Namibia – Namibia called upon the United Nations to peacefully resolve the situation. The Namibian Government also looked to evacuate 100 Namibians in Ukraine, should it become necessary.
•  Niger – Niger was one of the 87 signatories to the UN letter condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
•  Nigeria – On 24 February 2022, an initial statement from the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, describing the situation as a “surprise”. It announced plans to assist in the evacuation of Nigerian citizens from Ukraine. However, it avoided condemning the actions of Russia, and it reaffirmed Russia’s claims that the attacks in Ukraine “have been confined to military installations”. On 26 February 2022, after Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama met with Ukrainian ambassador to Nigeria, Kirdoda Valerii; Russian ambassador to Nigeria, Alexey Shebarshin; and envoys from the G7 countries, he officially condemned Russia’s invasion and urged for Russian troops to be withdrawn from Ukraine.
•  São Tomé and Príncipe – President of São Tomé and Príncipe, Carlos Vila Nova, said that the country “is not in favor of war” in Ukraine and hopes that the parties can still talk “to resolve disputes”.
•  South Africa – Naledi Pandor, Minister of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, released a statement blaming neither Russia nor Ukraine, calling for “inclusive talks led by the UNSC” and “enhanced diplomacy”.
•  South Sudan – The South Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested diplomats in European countries to tally the amount of South Sudanese citizens in Ukraine, stating they were “very much concerned about the situation in Ukraine”.
•  Sudan – Sudan coordinated an evacuation of Sudanese citizens in Ukraine with authorities in Poland and Romania.
•  Tunisia – Tunisia has called on all parties concerned by the recent events in Ukraine to “work on settling the conflict through peaceful means, based on dialogue between states. Tunisia is following with “great concern” the rapid development of events in Ukraine and the aggravation of tension in the region.” Tunisia called on its nationals in Ukraine to not leave the country without prior coordination.
•  Zambia – In response to questions from a MP, Vice president Mutale Nalumango stated that Zambia could not make an unilateral decision regarding the conflict, and that they would “not make a position as an individual country but as a grouping to various bodies that the country belongs to”. The country also made plans to evacuate all known Zambians present in the country. At the emergency special session the Zambia’s representative announced the country would support the draft resolution condemning the invasion.
•  Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe started to evacuate 256 nationals from Ukraine, advising nationals to leave Ukraine if safe to do so.

Asia

•  Afghanistan – The Taliban issued a statement in which it expressed its concern about the crisis in Ukraine, and called for “resolving the crisis through dialogue and peaceful means”.
•  Bangladesh – Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen has reiterated Bangladesh’s calls for the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine to be peacefully resolved in line with the Charter of the United Nations. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked all the concerned persons to observe the Russia-Ukraine war situation. Russia is building one of the biggest megaprojects in Bangladesh which is Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. Russia is giving all the funding and logistics for this project but experts suspect that the war could disrupt the flow of the work. Even though 77% of the construction work is already done, it is still believed that the war situation could prolong the rest of the construction. Russia which was once a part of Soviet Union helped Bangladesh gain independence from Pakistan in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. The neutral stance which the country took during the invasion of Ukraine was believed by observers to be related to concerns that Bangladesh itself did not want to be threatened by larger neighbours.
•  Bhutan – Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji said that the foreign ministry is “studying and assessing the impacts the war will have on Bhutan”; adding that there are no Bhutanese in Ukraine.
•  Brunei – Brunei condemned the invasion, calling for the situation to be resolved without resorting to the threat or use of force.
•  Cambodia − Prime Minister Hun Sen has weighed in on the Russia-Ukraine issue, echoing his long-held belief that it is only through peaceful negotiation, and not another war, that any disagreements between belligerent parties can be resolved.
•  China – Chinese leader and General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin on 25 February, that China supported Russia and Ukraine to resolve the issue through negotiation. President Putin told Paramount leader Xi that “Russia is willing to conduct high-level negotiations with Ukraine.” China’s UN Ambassador Zhang Jun said that “We believe that all countries should solve international disputes by peaceful means in line with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.” The Chinese government refused to give a “yes/no” answer to whether the Russian military operation is an invasion on 24 February press release, but does compare it with the 2001 American invasion of Afghanistan, a neighbor of China. The spokesperson confirmed its praise on France and Germany’s “a lot of efforts through diplomatic mediation in order to ease the tension” and accused the United States of agitating for war. In a statement released on 25 February, China said that Ukraine’s territory and sovereignty should be respected and urged talks between Ukraine and Russia as soon as possible. Shortly after, PRC Foreign Minister and State Councilor Wang Yi stated that China has a clear position respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries, including Ukraine. Various state media in Beijing quoted Scholz’ description of the day of invasion as “a terrible day for Ukraine and a dark day for Europe.” But according to The New York Times, China asked Russia to delay Ukraine invasion until after Olympics
•  India – Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed for an immediate cessation of violence in Ukraine in a phone call to Putin on 24 February. He also raised concern for the safe exit and return of 18,000 Indian students in Ukraine. The Indian government has refrained from taking a stand on the issue. Earlier that day, the Ministry of External Affairs had announced that “India is closely following the development of events in the region”. India is also considering setting up a mechanism to trade with Russia using rupees to avoid the effects of sanctions on trade between the two countries. Russia provides about 70% of Indian arms and has had close relations since the Cold War. India was the only member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue not to ban Russian exports. However, India also needs U.S. assistance to counter China, which it regards as its biggest threat. An analyst from the Centre for Policy Research noted, “India has never been caught in this kind of an either-or situation. It’s the biggest diplomatic challenge since the Cold War.” The Ukrainian ambassador to India, Igor Polikha, told reporters in India that he is “deeply dissatisfied” with India’s position. India abstained from the United Nations Security Council resolution condemning the Russian invasion.
•  Indonesia – The spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Teuku Faizasyah, expressed Indonesia’s concern for the escalation of the conflict. Indonesia urged Russia to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Official press release by the Ministry said that the attack of Ukraine by Russia is “unacceptable”. The Indonesian President, Joko Widodo, also tweeted “Stop war. War brings suffering to mankind and endangers the world.”. The People’s Representative Council also issued a condemnation statement.
•  Iran – Although the I.R. Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs rooted the war on NATO provocation, they do not see resorting to war as a solution. They believed that establishing a ceasefire and focusing on a political and democratic solution is a necessity. The Iranian President, Ebrahim Raisi, phoned Putin and supported guaranteeing the stopping of NATO’s expansion. Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian tweeted, “The #Ukraine crisis is rooted in NATO’s provocations. We don’t believe that resorting to war is a solution. Imperative to establish ceasefire & to find a political and democratic resolution.” Mohammad Javad Larijani, the secretary of the High Council for Human Rights in Iran, told IRNA that the Islamic Republic has not backed military operation against Ukraine, but at the same time Tehran “has not closed eyes on the plots hatched by the US and its allies.” In a televised speech aired on 1 March 2022, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said that “in Ukraine, we are in favour of stopping the war”, and that the Ukraine crisis was showing that West could not be trusted, its support for “administrations and politicians that have been installed by them” being a “mirage”. He also implied that the Ukrainian government did not have the full support of the people.
•  Israel – Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett stated that “our hearts are with the civilians of eastern Ukraine who were caught up in this situation.” He called for a halt to the violence and offered to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine. Prime Minister Bennett has also offered to mediate and broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Foreign Affairs Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid stated that the “Russian attack on Ukraine is a grave violation of the international order. Israel condemns the attack, and is ready and prepared to provide humanitarian assistance to the citizens of Ukraine. Israel is a country that has experienced wars, and war is not the way to resolve conflicts.” On 27 February 2022, Israeli Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked decided to automatically extend a two-month visa extension for all Ukrainian tourists in Israel, so they can receive temporary asylum from the war in Ukraine.
•  Japan – Prime Minister Fumio Kishida condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and announced that it will be cooperating with the United States on further sanctions against Russia. On 25 February, Japan implemented new sanctions, including an export ban on semiconductors and other high-tech products as well as freezing the assets of three Russian banks. It has also considered extending sanctions to Belarus, because of its support to the invasion. On 26 February, Japan agreed to increase deterrence efforts with the U.S., with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi stating that the “impact of this will not stop in Europe.” Japan–Russia relations had previously been characterized by Japanese attempts to avoid antagonizing Russia, particularly as that the Kuril Islands dispute is Russia’s only territorial dispute in Asia. However, Japan is increasingly concerned about the geopolitical implications of Ukrainian territorial annexation on China and Taiwan.
•  Jordan − Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jordan released a statement urging the international community and the related parties to spare no effort to promote restraint and de-escalation. The statement also called for a peaceful settlement of the conflict through dialogue to restore security and stability in the region during this “critical” moment.
•  Kazakhstan – Kazakhstan, a neighbor and ally of Russia, has reportedly denied a request for its troops to join Russian forces in their invasion of Ukraine. The former Soviet republic also said it is not recognizing the Russia-created breakaway republics, the Luhansk People’s Republic and the Donetsk People’s Republic, NBC News reported Friday, citing officials. Kazakhstan has avoided criticising Russia’s move to invade a fellow ex-Soviet republic but at the same time has not sided with Russia in recognising the independence of Moscow-backed separatist statelets in eastern Ukraine.
•  North Korea – North Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a commentary on 26 February titled “The United States must not undermine the foundation of international peace and stability” North Korea on Saturday ascribed the armed conflict in Ukraine to the United States’ “high-handedness and arbitrariness,” accusing Washington of having pursued “military supremacy” in disregard of Russia’s security concerns. In a post on the North’s foreign ministry website, Ri Ji-song, a researcher at the Society for International Politics Study, made the remarks—the North’s first public mention of the conflict following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this week. “The root cause of the Ukrainian crisis also lies in the high-handedness and arbitrariness of the U.S. which has held on solely to the unilateral sanction and pressure while pursuing only global hegemony and military supremacy in disregard of the legitimate demand of Russia for its security,” Ri wrote. The Yonhap News Agency quoted a North Korean studies professor at Ewha University in Seoul as analyzing the information posted on the website of North Korea’s foreign ministry as a “cautious” official response from Pyongyang because it was released in the name of an individual.
•  South Korea – President Moon Jae-in said that South Korea would join international sanctions against Russia in the crisis and expressed regret over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He said: “The use of armed forces causing human casualties cannot be justified under any circumstances”. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that: “The Korean government strongly condemns Russia’s armed invasion against Ukraine as a violation of the principles of the UN Charter” and “the Korean government will support and join the international community’s efforts, including economic sanctions, to curb armed invasion”.
•  Kuwait – Kuwait participated in the United States led Joint Statement following a vote on a UN Security Council resolution on Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine.
•  Kyrgyzstan – The Foreign Ministry of Kyrgyzstan has called on Russia and Ukraine to resolve the conflict at the negotiating table. “We’re following the development of the situation in Ukraine with dismay and concern. Proceeding from our historically friendly relations with the peoples of Russia and Ukraine, we hope that the parties will achieve peace promptly, including by means of creating new formats and mechanisms of the conflict settlement at the negotiating table to prevent further casualties and damage,” the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
•  Laos − Lao PDR government calls on all parties concerned to exercise utmost restraint and pursue efforts in deescalating the tension that may undermine international peace and security. Also, Lao PDR supports ongoing efforts to find a peaceful settlement to the situation through diplomatic means.
•  Lebanon – The Lebanese Foreign Ministry on 24 February condemned Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine and called on Moscow to “immediately halt military operations.” Russia’s embassy in Lebanon expressed surprise at this condemnation, releasing a statement that “The statement… surprised us by violating the policy of dissociation and by taking one side against another in these events, noting that Russia spared no effort in contributing to the advancement and stability of the Lebanese Republic”.
•  Malaysia – Prime Minister Ismail Sabri, via a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, had stated that it is concerned over the “escalation of conflict in Ukraine”. It also calls for dialogue and promoting “peace and security”. Independent news portal Malaysiakini noted that the statement released by the Prime Minister lacked forceful language and did not mention Russia nor characterised the conflict as an “invasion”, prompting a response by the Press Secretary of the Prime Minister, who accused the news portal of diverting from “the gist of the press statement”. On 27 February, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry denied a report by the South China Morning Post that it had “bungled” the evacuation of Malaysian nationals from the Ukraine by forcing them to travel to Poland with their private vehicles in order to escape the Russian invasion after reports that the chartered bus scheduled to pick them up failed to arrive. This is followed by allegations that the Malaysian government had dismissed the possibility of a Russian invasion as a “Western narrative”. At the emergency session, Malaysia’s representative announced the country’s delegation would vote in favor of the draft resolution condemning the invasion.
•  Maldives – Maldivian Deputy of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Humaid, outlined plans to evacuate Maldivians in Ukraine.
•  Mongolia – Amarsaikhan Sainbuyan, Mongolia’s deputy prime minister, and Battsetseg Batmunkh, Mongolia’s foreign minister, have spoken to the press about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They outlined plans to repatriate Mongolian nationals from Ukraine but did not condemn Russia’s action. Both described the invasion as a military operation and an armed struggle in Ukraine.
•  Myanmar – The spokesperson for Myanmar’s State Administration Council, Zaw Min Tun, supported Russia’s decision, stating that “Russia was acting to protect its sovereignty” and praised Russia’s role in “balancing global power”. The Minister of International Cooperation of the exiled National Unity Government of Myanmar, Dr. Sasa, said “The unprovoked, unjustified attacks on Ukraine by Russia are inexcusable and unacceptable.”
•    Nepal – Nepal opposed the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity must be fully respected: Foreign Ministry.
•  Pakistan – Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Imran Khan, expressed regret regarding the current situation and said that conflict was not in anyone’s interest. He had hoped that military conflict between the two countries could have been avoided through diplomacy. Khan also underlined Pakistan’s belief that disputes should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
•  Philippines – The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs released a statement on 25 February that it is urging the international community to reaffirm its commitment to resolve international disputes through peaceful dialogue and “more than words” and cited the UN General Assembly’s Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes. Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has committed to going to the Ukrainian border to personally oversee the repatriation of Filipinos in Ukraine. The Philippines later expressed its intent to vote to condemn Russia invasion of Ukraine in the emergency special session of the United Nations General Assembly.
•  Qatar – Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani yesterday called on all parties with regard to the Russia-Ukraine crisis to exercise restraint and resolve the dispute through constructive dialogue and diplomatic methods. He reiterated the settlement of international disputes by peaceful means and cautioned against actions that would lead to further escalation.
•  Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed El Khereiji and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on the first day of the invasion discussed building a “strong international response to support Ukrainian sovereignty”, the U.S. Department of State website said. Saudi Arabia remains committed to OPEC+ agreement, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told French President Emmanuel Macron 27 Feb, in an endorsement for the bloc’s alliance with Russia amid that nation’s invasion of Ukraine.
•  Singapore – Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Singapore “strongly condemns any unprovoked invasion of a sovereign country under any pretext,” and that “the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine must be respected.” “All parties concerned should continue to pursue dialogue, including diplomatic means, towards a peaceful settlement of the dispute, in accordance with international law, and avoid action that will further raise tensions in the region.” Local news outlets reported that Singapore may join international sanctions on Russia, and was unlikely to take a direct economic hit from export curbs on Russia. On 28 February 2022, Singapore announced sanctions against Russia by imposing export controls on items “that can be used directly as weapons in Ukraine to inflict harm or to subjugate the Ukrainians” and moved to “block certain Russian banks and financial transactions connected to Russia”. The move was a first by a Southeast Asian country and a departure from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ refusal to condemn the invasion.
•  Sri Lanka – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Government of Sri Lanka is deeply concerned about the recent escalation of violence in Ukraine and called upon all parties concerned to exercise maximum restraint and work towards the immediate cessation of hostilities, in order to maintain peace, security and stability in the region, while emphasising the need for concerted efforts by all parties concerned to resolve the crisis through diplomacy and sincere dialogue.
•  Syria – Syrian President Bashar al-Assad praised the Russian invasion as a “correction of history” and accused Western nations of using “dirty methods to support terrorists in Syria and Nazis in Ukraine”.
•  Taiwan – President Tsai Ing-wen stated, “our government condemns Russia’s violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and urges all parties to continue to resolve the disputes through peaceful and rational means.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Taiwan will join international sanctions against Russia and expressed regret over Russia’s decision to “use force and intimidation in bullying others instead of resolving disputes through peaceful diplomatic negotiations.” Taiwan moved to block Russian banks from the SWIFT system and sent 27 tonnes of military aid. Later, President Tsai Ing-wen, Vice President William Lai and Premier Su Tseng-chang announced they would each donate one month of salary towards humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
•  Thailand – Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed “deep concern” and said that it supported “ongoing efforts to find a peaceful settlement to the situation through dialogue.”
•  Timor-Leste – Timor-Leste was one of the 87 signatories to the UN letter condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
•  United Arab Emirates – The United Arab Emirates abstained from the vote on the U.N. Security Council resolution that would have deplored Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, calling it a “foregone conclusion”. A senior Emirati diplomat Anwar Gargash said that the United Arab Emirates “believes that taking sides would only lead to more violence”.. The United Arab Emirates permanent representative to the UN has called upon all parties in the Ukraine dispute to exercise self-restraint, defuse tension and seek an end to the crisis through dialogue and diplomacy, stating “the UAE.. articulates its firm position on the need to de-escalate and find a peaceful solution to the crisis between the parties concerned”
•  Uzbekistan – The Press Secretary to the President of Uzbekistan Sherzod Asadov stated in a Facebook post: “The President of Russia informed the head of our state on the reasons and circumstances of the decision to launch a special operation. In his turn, the leader of Uzbekistan expressed hope that the parties will soon find mutually acceptable ways to resolve the situation and prevent its further escalation. I would like to emphasize that Uzbekistan takes a balanced, neutral position on this matter.” The Embassy of Uzbekistan in Poland is evacuating its citizens from Ukraine through Poland, Foreign Ministry of Uzbekistan said. Upon reports of Uzbek nationals fighting in Ukraine, Ministry of Justice stated that any Uzbek national found to have enlisted in the service of a foreign army or police service could face a prison term of up to five years.
•  Vietnam – The spokesperson for the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lê Thị Thu Hằng, stated Vietnam “calls on parties concerned in the Ukraine crisis to exercise self-restraint, enhance dialogue efforts and step up diplomatic measures to peacefully settle differences with respect for the United Nations Charter and fundamental principles of international law, thus contributing to ensuring peace, security, and stability in the region and the world.”

Europe

•  Abkhazia – President Aslan Bzhaniya stated that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was “absolutely justified.”
•  Albania – President of Albania Ilir Meta convened a National Security Council on 24 February and issued a statement to “strongly condemn Russia’s military attack on Ukraine” as an “unprovoked and unjustifiable escalation” which “constitutes a violation of international law, the UN Charter, the Minsk Agreement, the Budapest Memorandum, and undermines security and peace throughout Europe”, while expressing sorrow for lives lost and “full solidarity with the people of Ukraine, and its democratic institutions”, with similar statements issued earlier in the day by Prime Minister Edi Rama on Twitter, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Olta Xhaçka, and Ambassador to the UN Ferit Hoxha at the Security Council meeting, later joining the United States in calling for a UN vote on a resolution condemning Russian actions with the intention of forcing Russia to resort to a veto. After a NATO summit, Rama said that Albania would be ready to welcome a few thousands of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war.
•  Andorra – The government of Andorra condemned the invasion and the Prime Minister Xavier Espot appealed for peace, saying that “war should be no recourse”. On 2 March, Andorra joined economic sanctions against Russia. Espot admitted that the impact would not be high, but it was a matter of conviction. Andorra has never previously applied sanctions towards another country.
•  Armenia − The Armenian government expressed “hope that the existing problems between the two friendly states will be resolved through diplomatic dialogue”, and declared its readiness to accept refugees.
•  Austria – Chancellor of Austria Karl Nehammer claimed that “There is war in Europe again”, condemned Russia’s attack and declared Austria’s solidarity with Ukraine.
•  Azerbaijan − President Ilham Aliyev has offered to organize talks between Ukraine and Russia. and Azerbaijan sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine
•  Belgium – Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said EU needs “Russian sanctions that bite”, especially against the “ruling elite”.
•  Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Tripartite Presidency Member Željko Komšić said Bosnia would support Ukraine within its capacity.
  • Whereas the Croat and Bosniak members of the tripatartite presidency, Željko Komšić and Šefik Džaferović, issued their own separate statements condemning the Russian invasion, the Serb member Milorad Dodik did not, instead stating that Bosnia and Herzegovina was neutral, having stated the previous day that the events showed it was a good decision for Bosnia and Herzegovina to not enter NATO, and that the country would not support sanctions.
  • Foreign Minister Bisera Turković stated: “Bosnia and Herzegovina remains firmly committed to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and we call for an immediate end to fighting and shelling! OSCE principles, security and international law are under attack today. Hostility and suffering of innocent civilians must end immediately,” she said. Minister Turković called on Russia and Belarus to refrain from using force in the interests of peace, regional and global stability.
•  Bulgaria – Bulgaria condemned the invasion and Prime Minister Kiril Petkov stated: “We see that this aggression was not provoked by the Ukrainian side and such actions in Europe are inadmissible”.
  • The Bulgarian Minister of Defence Stefan Yanev was sacked for insisting it was wrong to describe it as a war, saying it was an “operation.” He also said there was no need for Bulgaria — a member of both the EU and NATO — to adopt a “pro-Russian, pro-American or pro-European position.”
•  Croatia – Prime Minister Andrej Plenković released a statement on Twitter, saying: “We strongly condemn Russia’s aggression and invasion on Ukraine. This unprovoked attack is a gross violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and international law”. Plenković also met with the Ukrainian Ambassador to Croatia, noting that Croatia will support the EU sanctions package, and stands ready to provide humanitarian and technical assistance to Ukraine.
•  Cyprus – President Nicos Anastasiades tweeted his condemnation “in the strongest possible terms” and that “I must say that we witness with great disappointment what is happening in violation of international law and we cannot but condemn as a country similar actions that violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of an independent country”. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulidis called for a ceasefire and said that “these are military operations within Europe, something we have avoided since the end of WWII”.

• 

  Support demonstration in Prague, 27 February 2022

   Czech Republic

  • President Miloš Zeman called, in an address to the nation on 24 February, the invasion “an unprovoked act of aggression” and that “Russia has committed a crime against peace”, calling for harsh sanctions against Russia. He also said that he had been “wrong” in his insistence until a few days prior that Russia would not invade Ukraine.
  • Prime Minister Petr Fiala said his government had withdrawn their agreement for operation of the Russian consulates in Karlovy Vary and Brno, had suspended the operation of the consulates of the Czech Republic in St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg, and had stopped issuing visas for Russian citizens. He also announced that the republic would insist on adoption of the strictest anti-Russian sanctions and development of the harshest possible position towards Russia.
•  Denmark – Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that it was a “dark day for peace around the world”, while stating that her government was ready to accept Ukrainian refugees.
  •  Faroe Islands – Comment from the Prime Minister, Bárður á Steig Nielsen: “It’s a sad day and our thoughts are with the Ukrainian people. This is not only an attack on the Ukraine, but also on European peace. The Faroe Islands strongly condemn the Russian invasion of the Ukraine. The attack is a clear violation of international law, which is meant to maintain justice, security and stability.”
•  Estonia – Prime Minister Kaja Kallas called Russia a “threat to the whole of Europe”.

• 

  Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin at a press conference about the situation of Ukraine, 24 February 2022

   Finland

  • President Sauli Niinistö condemned Russia’s attack and President Vladimir Putin, saying “the mask has now come off and only the cold face of war is visible”.
  • Prime Minister Sanna Marin said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would change the debate around NATO membership within her country, and wrote on Twitter that “The attack is a grave breach of international law and threatens the life of numerous civilians. Finland expresses its solid support to Ukraine and Ukrainians and we are looking for ways to increase this support”. On 25 February 2022, a Russian foreign ministry spokesperson threatened “military and political consequences” if Finland attempts to join NATO.
• 

  Statement by Jean-Yves Le Drian following his interview with Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the Belarusian opposition

   France – President of France Emmanuel Macron said that he had spoken with Putin “to stop the fighting and talk to the Ukrainian president” and demanded “an immediate halt to Russian military operations in Ukraine”. =

•  Georgia
  • President Salome Zourabichvili stated that her nation was “shocked” by Russian aggression in Ukraine. She affirmed her “solidarity with the Ukrainian people” and called for a halt in military operations.
  • Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said that Georgia’s government does not intend to join any sanctions effort against Russia.
  • On 24 February, Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili expressed his solidarity with Ukraine and called on international community to take steps to “stop Russia escalating into a full-scale conflict and ensure the protection of international norms.”
  • Vice Prime Minister/Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, David Zalkaliani stated that “Military aggression launched by Russia against Ukraine is totally intolerable”. He called on international partners to give a strict response to the violation of the international law by Russia and ensure the de-escalation of the situation.
  • The Ministry of Foreign affairs of Georgia expressed extreme concern about the developments in Ukraine. According to statement, Russia’s military actions undermine Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty as well as the UN Charter and fundamental principles of the international law.
•  Germany – Annalena Baerbock, minister of foreign affairs, said that the world woke up in a different world. She announced massive sanctions against Russia. Chancellor Olaf Scholz called the invasion a “serious mistake” of Putin’s. Germany initially ruled out sending weapons to Ukraine and prevented Estonia from sending German-made howitzers to Ukraine. Germany said it was sending 5,000 helmets and a field hospital to Ukraine, to which Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko responded, “What will they send next? Pillows?” On 26 February, in what was seen by observers as a reaction to mounting pressure from allies in NATO and EU, Germany reversed its course by allowing the sending of nine German-made howitzers from Estonia and 400 rocket-propelled grenade launchers from the Netherlands, and additionally agreed to send 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger anti-aircraft defense systems to Ukraine. At an emergency parliamentary sitting on 27 February, Scholz spoke of a “new era” that had begun with the Russian invasion. Germany would from now on invest more than the NATO target of two percent of gross domestic product in defence. 100 billion euros would be made available for investments in the army during 2022.
•  Greece
  • President Katerina Sakellaropoulou stated that “we strongly condemn the Russian attack on an independent country” because it’s “a clear violation of international law and our values”.
  • Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis condemned the “revisionist” actions of Russia against Ukraine.
•  Hungary
  • President János Áder strongly condemned the Russian invasion, which “Hungary was also forced to endure a similar one in 1956”. Áder added that “we have done everything we could to urge the leadership in Moscow to remain level-headed and exercise restraint. Unfortunately we could not succeed because, as it has now become clear, Russia was carrying out a premeditated plan which was followed by the conscious deception of its international partners”.
  • Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that “together with our EU and NATO allies, we condemn Russia’s military attack”, adding that sending either troops or military equipment to Ukraine was “out of the question, though we will, of course, provide humanitarian aid”.
•  Iceland – Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as “an unacceptable breach of international law.”
•  Italy – Prime Minister Mario Draghi promised “whatever it takes to restore Ukrainian sovereignty” and that it was “impossible to have meaningful dialogue with Moscow”, demanding Russia to unconditionally pull its forces back to the internationally established borders.
•  Ireland
  • President Michael D. Higgins called the Russian invasion “unacceptable and immoral” and stated: “This violence must stop. Troops must be withdrawn by Russia. The rise of militarism must end. Full humanitarian access must be given to all civilians in need. Every glimmer of hope through diplomacy must be seized.”
  • Taoiseach Micheál Martin condemned the “outrageous” actions of Russia in Ukraine and promised “severe sanctions from EU”, while saying: “Our thoughts must be with the innocent people of Ukraine at this, their most difficult hour.”
  • Tánaiste Leo Varadkar stated that whilst Ireland is militarily neutral, “in this conflict, Ireland is not neutral at all”, acknowledging the country’s “unwavering and unconditional” support for Ukraine. He compared the invasion of Ukraine to the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1939, calling Putin “the Hitler of the 21st century.”
•  Kosovo – Prime Minister Albin Kurti condemned the Russian invasion as “the largest military aggression, not only in Europe, since the end of the Second World War”, stating “we stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and stand together with the EU, NATO, the US, and the UK for state sovereignty, territorial integrity, the country’s independence and the right of self-determination for the people of Ukraine”, alongside condemnations by the Kosovar parliament. Meanwhile, President Vjosa Osmani said that the people of Kosovo support Ukrainians “as they face an unprovoked war as a result of Russian aggression”, stating on Twitter that “we will work with our allies… Russian hegemony will not triumph. Freedom and democracy will win”. A joint statement by Kosovo’s president, prime minister and senior ministers furthermore condemned attempts to draw parallels to Kosovo’s own declaration of independence from Serbia: “Dictator Putin’s effort to refer to the Kosovo case and draw parallel are totally unstable, abusive and an attempt to camouflage the lack of any base or reason for the barbarous attack of its forces against a sovereign state.”
•  Latvia – President of Latvia Egils Levits strongly condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, calling to offer “all possible support, including weapons” for Ukraine and “the harshest possible sanctions” against Russia.
•  Liechtenstein
  • Liechtenstein condemned the invasion in a statement published on the government’s official website.
  • The government of Liechtenstein promised to devote CHF 500,000 from its existing International Humanitarian Cooperation and Development Budget towards humanitarian projects to help those affected by the war.
•  Lithuania – President of Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda declared the state of emergency in the nation following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, telling the NATO country’s army to deploy along its borders in response to “possible disturbances and provocations due to large military forces massed in Russia and Belarus”.
•  Luxembourg
  • Prime Minister Xavier Bettel condemned the invasion in a statement on Twitter.
  • Foreign minister Jean Asselborn, in an interview with local radio, said the “physical elimination” of Putin was potentially the only way out of the war. He later described his remarks as a “slip of the tongue” and an emotional reaction to having just heard of Russia’s indiscriminate attacks on Kharkiv.
•  Malta – Prime Minister Robert Abela said that during the meeting of European leaders Malta had “spoken in favour of peace in Ukraine”, adding that doing so “did not compromise Malta’s position of neutrality”, as Malta’s constitution affirms the island as a neutral state adhering to a policy of non-alignment.
•  Moldova – President Maia Sandu condemned the act of war by Russia against Ukraine, saying, “a blatant breach of international law and of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity.” She added that Moldova was ready to accept tens of thousands of people fleeing Ukraine after the Russian attack and vowed to keep the borders open to help.
•  Monaco
  • Prince Albert II affirmed his support for Ukraine in a statement “The Principality reaffirms its support of international laws, and to the sovereignty, the integrity and the independence of states.” and “Monaco is at the side of the Ukrainian population and human rights.”
  • Minister of State Pierre Dartout announced his concerns for the invasion and stated that Monaco was on the side of the Ukrainian people. He moreover urged the Russians to cease their military operation immediately and for dialogue to resume.
  • The Monaco Royal Palace said in a statement “The Principality has adopted and implemented, without delay, procedures for freezing funds and economic sanctions identical to those taken by most European States.”
•  Montenegro – President Milo Đukanović condemned the Russian invasion, saying it “violates all fundamental principles of international law, undermines European security, and endangers its stability. We join the calls of EU leaders for Russia to urgently end hostilities, withdraw forces from Ukraine and respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.” Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazović also tweeted that Montenegro stands with NATO and EU partners.
•  Netherlands – Prime Minister Mark Rutte condemned Russia’s actions in the “strongest possible terms”, saying that “one country and one man are responsible”, while calling for “maximum sanctions” against Russia. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima stated that their “hearts go out to the people of Ukraine and everyone affected by the violence.”
•  North Macedonia
  • President Stevo Pendarovski condemned the Russian invasion as “an attack on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, blatant violation of the basic principles of international law, attack on the democratic order and a threat to the stability of Europe.”
  • Prime Minister Dimitar Kovačevski announced his government’s readiness to receive refugees from Ukraine if the situation there deteriorates further.
•  Northern Cyprus – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly recommends all Turkish Cypriots within Ukraine to take all possible safety measures as well as services for those looking to leave Ukraine.
•  Norway – Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre assured that Norway “condemns Russia’s military attack on Ukraine in the strongest possible terms”.
•  Poland – Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki wrote on Twitter that “We must immediately respond to Russia’s criminal aggression on Ukraine Europe and the free world has to stop Putin”, and its government announced that the country was “ready to accept migrants and has prepared hospitals and a train to transport Ukrainians wounded in the assault”. The National Broadcasting Council banned the Russian state-controlled television network RT on 24 February.
•  Portugal – Prime Minister António Costa “vehemently condemns the military action triggered by Russia today on Ukrainian soil” at a press statement following a meeting with the minister of state and foreign affairs, the minister of defence, and the chief of the general staff.
•  Romania – President Klaus Iohannis condemned Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine via Twitter. He more precisely stated that “Romania, together with the entire international democratic community, strongly rejects this irresponsible behavior that undermines the foundations of international relations and the current order of international law”, that “the Russian Federation has once again shown that it is not is interested in the constructive and responsible dialogue offered by the European and Euro-Atlantic community” and that Romanian citizens should leave Ukraine as soon as possible.
•  San Marino – The San Marino Secretary for Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying that “the military escalation in Ukraine is a great wound for all the people and nations who strongly believe in the values of peace and strongly condemn war” and “the San Marino institutions and government are in deep shock at this time”.
•  Serbia
  • While condemning the invasion of Ukraine, Serbia refuses to back sanctions against Russia. Serbia respects Ukraine’s territorial integrity and considers Russia’s military action against it to be “wrong”, but will not impose sanctions against Moscow, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said on 25 February. Vučić said the National Security Council concluded the Republic of Serbia considers “very wrong the violation of territorial integrity of a number of countries including Ukraine.” Vučić also said that he will condemn Russia’s recognition of the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine only if Zelenskyy condemns the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 on public television.
  • Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selaković said that “Russia was Serbia’s biggest support in its battle to preserve its territorial integrity and sovereignty and avoid the stigmatisation of the entire Serb people.” Serbian Interior Minister Aleksandar Vulin stressed that Serbia would not join NATO: “While Aleksandar Vučić is the head of the state, you should have no dilemma as to what our attitude toward the NATO alliance is.” While there was no agreement on sanctions on Russia, Serbia nevertheless expressed regrets over the events, describing both Russia and Ukraine as friendly states and underlining full support for the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
  • After the military assault started, some Serbian pro-government newspapers have hailed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, praising that Russia “overran” Ukraine, Moscow’s troops “reached Kyiv in a day” and that the Russian attack on Ukraine was a “response to NATO threats”. Serbian Parliament Speaker Ivica Dačić said that Serbia will never impose sanctions on its friend Russia, despite the pressure that it faces. Dačić also added that “Russia is our most influential ally for preserving our territorial integrity and sovereignty in Kosovo.” The initial weak response by the government was criticised by some commentators in the country and the region.
  • The Serbian organization Women in Black organised anti-war demonstrations in Belgrade, and the Serbian Orthodox Church organised the collecting of humanitarian aid.
  • On 2 March Serbia voted ‘yes’ to the UN’s resolution condemning the Russian attack on Ukraine
•  Slovakia – Prime Minister Eduard Heger stated that “The Russian imperialism has been restored in front of our eyes in its aggressive, militant form” and about Russian president Vladimir Putin added “All victims of this war will be his victims and he will be responsible for them in the eyes of the global public.” On 24 February 2022, Bratislava Castle and the seat of President of Slovakia Grassalkovich Palace in Bratislava was light up in blue and yellow in solidarity with Ukraine.
•  Slovenia – Prime Minister Janez Janša condemned Russia’s “unprecedented military aggression against Ukraine” and demanded that Russia must immediately withdraw its military and fully respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity, reaffirming Slovenia’s support of Ukraine. Janša is due to visit Ukraine on 25 February 2022 for talks with his Ukrainian counterparts. The national flag of Ukraine was also hung from the Slovenian Parliament in Ljubljana as a symbol of solidarity and brotherhood between the two countries.
•  South Ossetia – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement in support of the Invasion of Ukraine. “The Republic of South Ossetia expresses its support for the decision of the Russian Federation to conduct the special military operation to protect the residents of Donbass from current nationalist regime of Kiev.”
•  Sovereign Military Order of Malta – In a press release, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta announced that they were supplying Ukraine refugees with “emergency relief, food and psychosocial support.”.
•  Spain
  • Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the “intolerable military actions of the Russian government in Ukrainian soil” via Twitter after holding a meeting of the Spanish National Security Council presided by King Felipe VI.
  • Minister of Foreign Affairs José Manuel Albares called the Russian attack “unjustifiable” and a “blatant violation of international law”, while announcing that Spain was coordinating with EU partners and NATO allies. Minister of Defence Margarita Robles asked for “really severe” sanctions against Russia after calling Russian actions “of an extraordinary gravity” but stated that there would be no NATO troops on Ukrainian soil as the country “is not a NATO member”.
  • On 27 February, Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles announced the shipment of 20 tons of defense military equipment to Ukraine and advanced the request to send the frigate Blas de Lezo in conjunction with a NATO mission.
•  Sweden – Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson stated that “Sweden condemns in the strongest terms Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s acts are also an attack on the European security order. It will be met by a united and robust response in solidarity with Ukraine. Russia alone is responsible for human suffering.”.
•   Switzerland – The Swiss foreign ministry issued a statement considering Russia’s actions to be an “invasion” and a “gross violation of international law”, while Swiss President Ignazio Cassis announced that the country would support EU sanctions in the areas of travel and finance but would still not impose sanctions of its own. However, the Swiss Federal Council would reverse course on 28 February, announcing that Switzerland is imposing identical sanctions on Russian assets as the European Union. Exempt from these sanctions are payments for energy raw materials. According to Cassis, the decision was unprecedented but consistent with Swiss neutrality.
•  Transnistria – On 26 February, Vadim Krasnoselski, the president of the breakaway state of Transnistria internationally recognized as part of Moldova, in response to what he called rumors and false information according to which Transnistria would attack Ukraine, said that Transnistria is a peaceful state, that it never had plans to attack its neighbors and that those who spread these claims were people without control over the situation or provocateurs with malicious intentions. Krasnoselski also made reference to the large ethnically Ukrainian population in Transnistria and how Ukrainian is taught in Transnistrian schools and is one of the official languages of the republic.
•  Turkey – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs have stated that Russian actions are “unacceptable” and strongly condemned Russia over its “grave violation of international law”, while reiterating “support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”. Furthermore, a commercial Turkish-owned vessel was hit by a Russian bomb off the coast of Odessa, for which Turkish authorities stated there were no casualties and the ship safely arrived in the territorial waters of Romania, a NATO ally. On 27 February, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu referred to the invasion as a “war,” rhetorically bringing the conflict under the 1936 Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits and permitting Turkey to prohibit Russian warships in the Bosporus and Dardanelles. On 28 February, Erdoğan publicly confirmed that the straits would be closed to prevent an escalation of the war, while also pledging to maintain relations with both Ukraine and Russia.

• 

  The U.K. House of Lords debated the situation of Ukraine on 25 February 2022.

  

  Scottish Government debate on Ukraine, 24 February 2022

   United Kingdom

  • The Queen made a “generous” donation to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
  • Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that he was “appalled by the horrific events in Ukraine” and decried that “President Putin has chosen a path of bloodshed and destruction by launching this unprovoked attack”.
  • During a visit to Southend-on-Sea, the Prince of Wales condemned the Russian invasion, stating “What we saw in the terrible tragedy in Southend was an attack on democracy, on an open society, on freedom itself. We are seeing those same values under attack today in Ukraine in the most unconscionable way. In the stand we take here, we are in solidary with all those who are resisting brutal aggression.”
  • The royal household of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge issued a statement via Twitter in which the couple said “In October 2020 we had the privilege to meet President Zelenskyy and the First Lady to learn of their hope and optimism for Ukraine’s future. Today we stand with the President and all of Ukraine’s people as they bravely fight for that future.”
  • Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace described Russia’s actions as “naked aggression against a democratic country”.
  •  Gibraltar – “Today’s actions by Russia, launching a full-scale invasion of a sovereign, democratic nation without any provocation or reasonable excuse, is nothing short of appalling. None of us expected to witness such unforgivable aggression in Europe in our lifetimes. Gibraltar therefore joins with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, leaders of other nations and people around the World in condemning this action in the most strident terms”, said Chief Minister Fabian Picardo. Picardo called for a ban of the Russian state-controlled television network RT on 25 February; television providers in Gibraltar agreed to suspend broadcasts of RT.
  •  Guernsey – “Guernsey follows the UK’s sanctions regime and UK foreign policy, and will continue to do so. Some of the announced measures will apply automatically and this has already been communicated to industry. Some of the other sanctions announced yesterday may require new legislation in the UK and, if so, the States will move in step with the UK to ensure that all new sanctions will apply and be enforced uniformly.”
  •  Isle of Man – The Isle of Man government is in close contact with the UK government and will remain so regarding the unfolding situation in Ukraine. “We will take action in line with the UK government.” It has since closed its airspace and ports to Russian airplanes and ships, and has extended the UK’s sanctions to automatically apply on the Isle of Man. The chief minister Alfred Cannan has condemned the actions of the Russian President.
  •  Jersey – The Deputy (Acting) Chief Minister, Senator Lyndon Farnham, has issued the following statement: “We are fully alongside the United Kingdom in its condemnation of this aggressive action, and we will act promptly in line with the UK’s response. The UK is ultimately responsible for our foreign relations as a matter of international law, and we implement both U.K. and UN sanctions.
•   Vatican City – Pope Francis has stated that the events in Ukraine have caused, “great pain in his heart”. The Pope has called for 2 March, Ash Wednesday, to be a day of prayer and fasting for peace. In an unprecedented departure from diplomatic protocol, the Pope went to the Russian embassy to the Holy See on Friday, 25 February, to relay his concern over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to Moscow’s ambassador.

North America

•  Antigua and Barbuda – Minister of Foreign Affairs Paul Chet Greene condemned the Russian invasion and urged for diplomatic talks to take place.
•  Bahamas – Bahamas denounced the invasion and Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell stated “The invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation and led by its President Vladimir Putin is wrong, unlawful and should end and be reversed.”
•  Barbados – Prime Minister Mia Mottley urged Russia to withdraw and described the invasion as a violation of Ukrainian territorial integrity.
•  Belize – Belize condemned the ‘illegal Russian invasion’ and uttered their solidarity for Ukraine.
• 

  Justin Trudeau’s speech regarding the 2022 Russia invasion

   Canada – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned “in the strongest possible terms Russia’s egregious attack on Ukraine” and stated that “these unprovoked actions are a clear further violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. They are also in violation of Russia’s obligations under international law and the Charter of the United Nations.”

•  Costa Rica – President Carlos Alvarado released a statement on Twitter, rejecting and condemning the “use of force and the violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”, mentioning that peace is the “only way”.
•  Cuba – The Cuban government blamed the United States for the crisis in Ukraine and backed Russia’s right to “self-defense”, but said the conflict should be resolved diplomatically.
•  Dominica – Dominica condemned the invasion and called for an end to the ‘aggression’.
•  Dominican Republic – Dominican President Luis Abinader released a statement urging Russia to withdraw from Ukraine and furthermore stated that Russia was violating the political, cultural and territorial identity of Ukrainians.
•  Grenada – Grenada condemned the invasion.
•  Guatemala – President Alejandro Giammattei released a statement on Twitter, condemning the Russian invasion.
•  Haiti – Haiti expressed their concerns on the situation in Ukraine and urged the two countries to find a diplomatic solution. Haiti cosponsored a UN Security Council resolution condemning Russia.
•  Honduras – Honduras condemned the Russian invasion.
•  Jamaica – Prime Minister Andrew Holness condemned Russia, stating “Jamaica is consistent in its support for the universal respect and adherence to the principles of international law, the respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all nations. We, therefore, cannot support, and, in fact, we condemn the invasion of Ukraine”.
•  Mexico – The Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico Marcelo Ebrard, on behalf of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, issued a statement on Twitter, rejecting and condemning the Russian invasion. He demanded a cessation of hostilities to achieve a peaceful resolution. On 1 March, however, López Obrador announced that Mexico would not be participating in any economic sanctions against Russia and criticised the overseas censorship of Russian state media.
•  Nicaragua – President Ortega supports Putin’s deployment of troops to Ukraine after recognizing separatist regions.
•  Panama – Panama lamented the invasion and stated their support for Ukrainian sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
•  Saint Lucia – Saint Lucia uttered their concerns about the invasion and supported the CARICOM statement condemning Russia.
•  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – At the UN emergency session, ambassador Inga Rhonda King stated that the country “unequivocally insists that the Russian Federation cease its military operations and immediately withdraw his forces from Ukraine”
•  Trinidad and Tobago – Foreign Minister Amery Browne condemned the invasion.
• 

  Joe Biden’s statement on the 2022 Russia invasion

   United States

  • President Joe Biden released a statement condemning the Russian invasion as “unprovoked and unjustified” and accused Putin of starting a “premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering”. Biden stated the US would not dispatch its own forces to protect Ukraine, however, Biden did authorize sanctions directly targeting Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
  • In the 2022 State of the Union Address, Biden announced that all US airspace would be closed to all Russian aircraft. Biden additionally attacked Russian oligarchs who had supported Putin, stating that “We are joining with our European allies to find and seize your yachts, your luxury apartments, your private jets. We are coming for your ill-begotten gains.”
  • Vice President Kamala Harris threatened to increase sanctions against Russia at the Munich Security Conference: “Let me be clear, I can say with absolute certainty: If Russia further invades Ukraine, the United States, together with our allies and partners, will impose significant and unprecedented economic costs.”
  • House speaker Nancy Pelosi vowed for the House to pass as much funding that is needed to support the Ukrainian government.

South America

•  Argentina – On February 24, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Argentina, rejected the use of force and called on Russia to respect the charter of the United Nations and international law. That same day, President Alberto Fernández lamented the invasion and asked “the Russian Federation to put an end to the military action, respect Ukraine’s sovereignity and return to dialogue”. On February 25, Argentina, along with Brazil and three other Latin American states abstained during a vote at the Organization of American States condemning the Russian invasion of Ukraine due to not considering the organization a “pertinent forum”.. On March 2nd, Argentina voted in favor of the United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-11/1, condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and demanding a full withdrawal of Russian forces. Before the UN, Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero condemned “the invasion of Ukraine as illegitimate and military operations on Ukrainian soil,” and said that the world “does not tolerate more deaths or wars”. Argentina has also supported Ukraine at the UN Human Rights Council.
•  Bolivia – At first, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that, as “a pacifist state”, the Bolivian government urged Russia and Ukraine to avoid the use of force and seek diplomatic de-escalation “within the framework of International Law and the Charter of the United Nations”. However, it did not explicitly condemn the Russian invasion, instead citing a “lack of dialogue and understanding” as having caused further escalation in the conflict. Two days later, on February 28, before the UN General Assembly, Bolivia rejected the “invasion and unilateral actions” of Russia. Bolivia also voted against Russia at the UN Human Rights Council and decided to stand with Ukraine.
•  Brazil – President Jair Bolsonaro declined to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, while departing from his government’s official stance at the United Nations to say Brazil would remain neutral.
  Brazil will support a resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at a United Nations Security Council meeting on 25 February, two sources close to the talks told Reuters. “We will support the Security Council resolution and we will condemn the invasion,” said one of the sources, who requested anonymity. “Russia broke the U.N. rules by invading another country. That fact cannot go without a condemnation,” the official said. Vice-president Hamilton Mourão suggested use of force against Russia in the context of military crisis. However, on 27 February, President Jair Bolsonaro said that he won’t condemn the invasion and that Brazil will remain neutral with regards to this conflict.
•  Chile – President Sebastián Piñera said that “Russia’s act of aggression and violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty” violated international law., while President -elect Gabriel Boric “condemn the invasion of Ukraine, the violation of its sovereignty and the illegitimate use of force”.
•  Colombia – President Iván Duque stated that Colombia “categorically rejects the attacks against Ukraine by Russia” and considers the invasion a violation of international law and the United Nations charter.
•  Ecuador – President Guillermo Lasso said that Ecuador would support the position of the United Nations and the Organization of American States in condemning the invasion. “The aggression is a violent intrusion and a violation of our principles for worldwide peace,” he said. He added, however, that Ecuador has no plans to suspend diplomatic relations with Russia.
•  Guyana – Guyana condemned the invasion and urged Russia to respect Ukrainian sovereignty.
•  Paraguay – Paraguay condemned the invasion.
•  Peru – Foreign Affairs Minister César Landa  said in a statement: “Faced with the violation of sovereignty, territory, and integrity of Ukraine, Peru rejects the use of force and states its opinion through the Foreign Affairs Ministry, invoking respect for international law.”
•  Suriname – Suriname condemned the invasion.
•  Uruguay – President Luis Lacalle Pou condemned Russia’s “actions contrary to international law”, and declared that Uruguay “is a country that is always committed to peace”, for which he encouraged the return of negotiations for a “civilised resolution” of the conflict. In an official statement from the Ministry of Foreign Relations, the government stated that the principles of the Charter of the United Nations were “notoriously violated” after the Russian military attacks; and announced that four Uruguayan citizens were evacuated from Ukraine to Cyprus, and that it is monitoring the situation, attending to the situation of its “compatriots” in order to provide them with the proper assistance.
•  Venezuela – The country blamed NATO and the United States for the crisis in Ukraine, stating that they had violated the Minsk agreements. Nicolás Maduro said before the invasion was launched that Venezuela was with Putin, but also urged a diplomatic dialogue to avoid an increase in the conflict.

Oceania

•  Australia – Prime Minister Scott Morrison denounced the invasion of Ukraine and imposed export controls and travel bans on Russia, arguing there must be a price for the “unprovoked, unlawful, unwarranted, unjustified attacks and threats and intimidation that has been imposed by Russia on Ukraine” and reaffirmed Australia’s “unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”. However, Morrison suggested that he did not expect an autocratic leader like Putin to be deterred by any Australian sanctions. In response to Russia’s claim of peacekeeping, Australia replied “They’re not peacekeepers. They’re invaders”. On 25 February, Morrison condemned the easing of import restrictions on Russian wheat by China while other countries ratcheted up sanctions as “inexplicable” and “completely unacceptable”, and that the measure provided a “lifeline to Russia while they’re invading another country”. Minister for Communications Paul Fletcher called for a suspension on broadcasts of two Russian state-controlled TV networks, RT and NTV Moscow, on 25 February; two Australian TV services suspended broadcasts of RT, one of which also suspended broadcasts of NTV Moscow.
•  Federated States of Micronesia – The Federated States of Micronesia severed diplomatic relations with Russia on 25 February 2022. “The FSM aligns itself with the international rules-based order and the rule of law. The FSM reaffirms its commitment to our first and foremost ally, the United States of America, as codified through our Compact of Free Association, as Amended. The FSM affirms its stalwart support of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the United Nations, who correctly condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The FSM supports the removal of the Russian Federation in its capacity as president of the United Nations Security Council; Russia remaining there is a façade, as they need to be upholding the international rules-based order instead of undermining it.”
•  Fiji – Acting Prime Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine, calling for an end to all hostilities and violation of international law and urging Russia to “return to the diplomatic table”.
•  Kiribati – Kiribati cosponsored a UN Security Council resolution condemning Russia.
•  Marshall Islands – Marshall Islands cosponsored a UN Security Council resolution condemning Russia.
•  New Zealand – Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and called for Russia to immediately withdraw from Ukraine in a bid to avoid a “catastrophic and pointless” loss of life. New Zealand has suspended high-level diplomatic engagements with Russia and introduced travel bans and export controls.
  •  Cook Islands – In a statement, the Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration said: “The Cook Islands join with others in condemning Russia’s unprovoked invasion of the Ukraine. We call on Russia to end the hostilities and violations of the international rule of law.”
•  Palau – Palau participated in the United States led Joint Statement following a vote on a UN Security Council resolution on Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine.
•  Papua New Guinea – Papua New Guinea cosponsored a UN Security Council resolution condemning Russia.
•  Samoa – During the UN General Assembly emergency special session on Ukraine, Samoa’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Fatumanava-o-Upolu III Pa’olelei Luteru, condemned the Russian invasion describing it as “unprovoked” and stated that “Samoa is greatly concerned by the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation. Such action is a clear violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and inconsistent with the principles laid out in Article 2 of the UN Charter”. He also called for Russia and Ukraine to engage in peace negotiations.

Intergovernmental and international organizations

•  United Nations – Secretary-General António Guterres stated that the Russian invasion was “the saddest moment in my tenure” and called on Putin to withdraw his troops “in the name of humanity”. On 25 February, the Security Council failed to adopt a draft resolution which would have “deplored, in the strongest terms, the Russian Federation’s aggression” on Ukraine. Of the 15 member states on the Security Council, 11 were in support, whilst 3 abstained from voting. The draft resolution failed due to Russia’s veto. Due to the deadlock, the Security Council passed a resolution to convene the General Assembly for the eleventh emergency special session. On 2 March, the General Assembly voted to deplore “in the strongest possible terms” Russia’s aggression against Ukraine by a vote of 141 to 5, with 35 abstentions. The resolution also called for the Russian Federation to “immediately cease its use of force against Ukraine” and “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces.” Only Russia, Belarus, Syria, North Korea and Eritrea voted against the resolution. On 4 March 4, the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution by a vote of 32 to 2, with 13 abstentions, calling for the withdrawal of Russian troops and Russian-backed armed groups from Ukraine and humanitarian access to people in need. The resolution also establishes a commission to investigate alleged rights violations committed during Russia’s military attack on Ukraine.
•  African Union – Chairman of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki and Chair of the African Union and Senegalese president Macky Sall called on Russia and “any other regional or international actor to imperatively respect international law, territorial integrity and national sovereignty of Ukraine” and urged both parties to the conflict to establish an immediate ceasefire and start political negotiations without delay.
•  Association of Southeast Asian Nations – Foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) expressed grave concern over Russia-Ukraine tensions and urged maximum restraint and dialogue.
• Baltic Assembly – The Baltic Assembly published a statement in which it “firmly condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine”.
•  Caribbean Community – A statement issued on behalf of the Caribbean Community condemned the invasion of Ukraine and demanded an “immediate and complete withdrawal” of Russia’s military from Ukraine.
•  Council of Europe – The Committee of Ministers passed a resolution that “condemned in the strongest terms the armed attack on Ukraine,” called for Russia to “immediately and unconditionally cease its military operations,” and that it would consider “measures to be taken in response to the serious violation by the Russian Federation of its statutory obligations as a Council of Europe member State.”
• Economic Community of West African States – ECOWAS released a statement that condemned the invasion and called for both parties to stop the fighting. Instead, ECOWAS urged for both parties to use dialogue to solve differences for sake of the interest of peace in the region.
•  European Union – President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen tweeted; “We will not let President Putin tear down Europe’s security architecture” and Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell called on Putin to stop the “senseless aggression”. President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola called for “immediate, quick, solid and swift action” and convened an extraordinary session of Parliament for 1 March.
• International Criminal Court – Neither Ukraine or Russia are states parties to the Rome Statute, however the Ukrainian government has voluntarily accepted the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court since 2015 for any possible war crimes committed on Ukrainian territory since 20 February 2014. The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Ahmad Khan, issued a statement on 25 February reminding all parties involved that the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) has jurisdiction to investigate any act of genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity and that “any person who commits such crimes, including by ordering, inciting, or contributing in another manner to the commission of these crimes, may be liable to prosecution before the Court.” Khan issued a follow-up statement on 28 February that the OTP had a reasonable basis to begin an investigation under article 15(3) of the Rome Statute pending approval from the Pre-Trial Chamber of the court. The approval requirement was bypassed after 39 states parties referred the situation in Ukraine to the OTP and the formal investigation commenced on 2 March.
•  NATO – Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg condemned the attack and called it a “grave breach of international law”. A separate statement announced the intention to deploy defensive forces and condemned Belarus for enabling the attack.
•  Nordic Council – President Erkki Tuomioja condemned the invasion as “completely unjust” and stated that it was “contrary to both international law and the order of European security.”
•  Organization of American States – The OAS issued a statement condemning the attack as an affront to mankind and an attack on civilised international relations.
• Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development – The OECD Council formally terminated accession negotiations with Russia and ordered the closure of OECD offices in Moscow.
•  Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE Chairman Zbigniew Rau and Secretary General Helga Schmid issued a joint statement on 24 February 2022 condemning the invasion. All international members of the multi-national OSCE Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, which had been deployed in the country since 21 March 2014, were evacuated beginning 24 February. A Ukrainian member of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (Maryna Fenina) was killed on 1 March during the shelling of Kharkiv.
• Pacific Islands Forum – In a statement, the Pacific Islands Forum condemned the invasion, saying “observed from afar the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as Russia’s blatant disregard for international law.”

Political parties, opposition politicians and other political groups

Africa

•  South Africa
  • ActionSA party blasted South African government refusal to vote in order to condemn Russian aggression during the UN General Assembly vote.
  • Al Jamah-ah criticised the Democratic Alliance’s decision to show solidarity for Ukraine by lighting up the Western Cape provincial government building in the colours of the Ukrainian flag.
  • Democratic Alliance (DA) has called the ANC government to clarify its stance on Russian invasion of Ukraine. The party also claimed that there are several calls for South Africa as member of BRICS to act. The DA mayor of Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, pledged the city’s support for and solidarity with the people of Kyiv and Ukraine. The DA run Western Cape Government also showed solidarity for Ukraine by lighting up the provincial government buildings in the country’s colours.
  • Economic Freedom Fighters denounced the MultiChoice satellite TV provider for removing the RT channel from its DStv broadcast service in South Africa. MultiChoice has responded stating that the service was removed by its global provider following European sanctions against Russia, and that it had no choice in the matter.

Asia

•  Hong Kong
  • Activist and Demosisto founder Nathan Law stated that he stand with Ukraine. Law praised the courage of Ukrainians that changed the world attitude toward Putin.
  • There are organizing Small rallies to support Ukraine. Also, Majority Hong Kongers are support Ukraine and condemn the Russian Government.
•  Iran
  • Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the former president of Iran, declared support to Ukraine, saying “Your honorable and almost unrivalled resistance uncovered the Satanic plots of enemies of mankind. Trust that the great nation of #Iran is standing by you, while admiring this heroic persistence.”
  • Maryam Rajavi, head of the People’s Mujahedin of Iran, had appealed to the countries that bordered Ukraine for immediate facilitation in the relocation of Iranian refugees from Ukraine.
•  Japan
  • Kazuo Shii, chairman of the Japanese Communist Party stated that Russia’s actions are in violation of the basic principles of the United Nations Charter and international law, and that he resolutely condemns this. He further stated that it is totally unacceptable for President Putin to boast Russia’s nuclear weapons to intimidate the countries of the world.
  • The Democratic Party for the People released a comment condemning the Russia’s military invasion into Ukraine and demanded that Russia “immediately cease its armed incursion”.
•  Malaysia
  • The Leader of the Opposition of the Dewan Rakyat, Anwar Ibrahim, had called for “end of the attacks” by Russia before more loss of lives occurred.
  • The Malaysian Parliament’s Select Committee for International Affairs had described the situation as a “brutal invasion” by Russia, and had condemned Russia for invading Ukraine. It had also seeks to invite the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during its next session for a briefing on Malaysia’s stance on the issue. It had also pledged to make a courtesy call to the Ukrainian Ambassador to Malaysia to express the committee’s ‘deepest concern’ surrounding the invasion.
•  Palestine
  • The de facto governing party of the Gaza Strip, Hamas has given alleged statements regarding the Ukrainian–Russian situation that the group denied.
•  Philippines
  • A number of candidates in the 2022 Philippine presidential election have taken varying positions on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. During a presidential debate organized by CNN Philippines on 27 February 2022, six of the ten presidential candidates said that the Philippines should not be neutral in the conflict, with three voting for neutrality and one, former Senator Bongbong Marcos, not attending the debate at all.
    • Senator Panfilo Lacson condemned the invasion, saying that the Philippines should join the rest of the world in condemning Russia’s actions despite the country only having a “small voice” in the international community.
    • Isko Moreno, the mayor of Manila, said that the Philippines should focus on getting Filipinos out of Ukraine while remaining neutral in the conflict.
    • Labor leader Leody de Guzman, chair of the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, slammed the invasion and called Russia an “imperialist” power, later declaring that all forms of invasion and incursion into another sovereign nation are “unacceptable”, but otherwise said that the Philippine government should remain non-aligned. However, his running mate, Walden Bello, blamed the invasion on NATO expansion, and called on the United Nations to immediately conduct peace negotiations between the two countries.
•  Singapore
  • The main opposition party in Singapore, Workers’ Party, stated that it was “gravely concerned” with Russia’s military operations in Ukraine. The party affirmed “the right of all peoples to determine their own destiny”, and expressed its hope for a peaceful settlement of the crisis in accordance with international law.
•  Syrian opposition
  • National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces condemned Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine and emphasizing solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
•  Republic of China (Taiwan)
  • The Taiwanese opposition party Kuomintang condemned the attack against Ukraine. The party stated that it stands by the international community to take actions in order to restore peace. The party also reiterated its commitment to self-defence and to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
•  Thailand
  • Pita Limjaroenrat, leader of the opposition Move Forward Party, called for Russia’s immediate pull-out of its troops from Ukraine, and criticised the Thai Government’s position as being “two-face”.
•  Yemen
  • Houthi’s Supreme Political Council recognized both Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states.

Europe

•  Belarusian opposition
  • Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya condemned Russia and Belarus’s involvement in the invasion of Ukraine. Tsikhanouskaya decried that “Russia, with the participation of the Lukashenko regime, launched a groundless and shameless military aggression against Ukraine.” Tsikhanouskaya asked the international community to impose the strongest sanctions against the Belarus regime as soon as possible, and called them “accomplices of Russia’s brutal assault on Ukraine”. She argued “It’s evident that Lukashenka fully shares the responsibility for this unnecessary war.”
•  France
  • The Republicans attended a French Senate reading of a message from President Emmanuel Macron, tweeting later that the party retains its full solidarity with Ukraine. The next day, leader Valérie Pécresse recommended Nicolas Sarkozy help negotiate an end to the conflict.
•  Greece
  • The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) condemned “the imperialist war in Ukraine” by issuing an appropriate appeal, which was also signed by the communist parties of Spain (PCE), Turkey (TKP), and Mexico (PCM).
•  Netherlands
  • Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, member of the Dutch House of Representatives, filed a motion to “look for ways to structurally invest extra in Defense during this Cabinet term”, which received support from most parties.
•  Portugal
  • The Portuguese Communist Party (PCP) refused to condemn Russia for the invasion, upon being invited to do so by Foreign Affairs Minister Augusto Santos Silva in a parliamentary debate on 24 February. The communists stated that the conflict was “more profound” than “a problem between Russians and Ukrainians”, and instead blamed the United States, accusing them of being “the party that is truly interested in having a new war in Europe” and of “promoting” it in order to “turn attentions away from internal problems” and to “ensure a large-scale sale of weapons”.
•  Russia
  • Jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny condemned Putin’s attack, claiming the war “will cause a great number of casualties, destroy lives and will further impoverish Russian citizens.”
•  Slovakia
  • Voice – Social Democracy party issued a statement of “unanimous condemnation of Russian invasion”.
•  Serbia
  • Leader of the Serbian Radical Party, Vojislav Seselj said that Washington manipulated the Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and pushed him into a conflict with Russia.
  • Boris Tadić, former President of Serbia and Social Democratic Party leader called the invasion “an act of aggression of Russia against Ukraine” and added that “Serbia cannot accept the recognition of Donetsk and Lugansk, because it is contrary to its own interests because of Kosovo and Metohija”.
•  Spain
  • Second Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz, Minister of Consumer Affairs Alberto Garzón and Minister of Social Rights Ione Belarra, all of them members of Unidas Podemos, a coalition which includes the PCE, condemned Russian attack on Ukraine. Díaz expressed her solidarity “with the Ukrainian people, victims of this irresponsible escalation”. Garzón affirmed that the “Ukrainian working people” were “suffering from imperialist aggression by Russia”.
•  United Kingdom
  • Keir Starmer, Labour Party leader and Leader of the Opposition in the British Parliament, stated that “Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine is unprovoked and unjustifiable”, adding: “All those who believe in the triumph of democracy over dictatorship, good over evil, freedom over the jackboot of tyranny must now support the Ukrainian people.”
•  Turkey
  • Ahmet Davutoğlu, former Prime Minister and Future Party leader, condemned the invasion.
  • Temel Karamollaoğlu, Felicity Party leader, condemned the invasion and stated that “efforts to resurrect the Soviet Union are a very serious threat to world peace.”
  • Devlet Bahçeli, Nationalist Movement Party leader urged Russia to “stop the invasion immediately”, adding that “the attempt to take Donbas away from Ukraine is separatism”.
  • Doğu Perinçek, Patriotic Party leader, praised the invasion and stated that “it is the weapon that Russia is currently using that brings peace and tranquility.”
  • Meral Aksener, Good Party leader, voiced support for Ukraine’s self-defense, adding “That’s why our hearts are beating for another nation. It is us who understand best the struggle given by Ukraine. I respectfully salute the brave sons of Ukraine. We are with them in their struggle for the freedom and sovereignty of their country”.

North America

•  Canada
  • Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet described Russian military action in Ukraine as a “savage and violent attack” and called for “the toughest economic sanctions imaginable.”
  • Conservative Party leader and Leader of the Official Opposition Candice Bergen condemned the invasion on Twitter, saying the party stands ready to defend Ukraine and that it deems Putin’s actions “despicable”. Bergen called it the “most serious threat to the rules-based order since 1945” and expressed that the Conservative Party “fully supports” the Canadian government’s actions thus far.
  • The Communist Party’s Central Executive Committee released a statement indicating that “the military incursion of Russian forces into Ukraine has seriously ratcheted up tensions in the region, across Europe and internationally, and increased the danger of ‘great power’ confrontation and even nuclear war. This military action must end as quickly as possible, and with minimum loss of lives, especially among the civilian population, and a negotiated political settlement to the crisis must be sought and secured.” It stated that the party “condemns the Canadian government’s role in stoking tensions leading to the outbreak of war in Europe, sending troops, arms, and funds to Ukraine while insisting that war between Russia and Ukraine is inevitable.”
  • Green Party interim leader Amita Kuttner condemned the invasion and called on the Canadian government to use every available non-violent tool to punish and isolate Russia for its “criminal decision” to attack Ukraine. Kuttner stated that “this lawless aggression must not stand.”
  • New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh issued a statement condemning Russia’s flagrant aggression against Ukraine and urging the federal government to expand economic sanctions, target the wealth of Russian oligarchs and reiterated the Party’s call since 2018 for Ukrainians to be granted visa-free access.
  • People’s Party leader and former Foreign Minister Maxime Bernier released a statement on Twitter deploring the “Russian invasion in Ukraine” while stressing that Canada “has no business getting involved in this conflict. China is the biggest threat to our security. Western powers have horribly managed relations with Russia and pushed Russians in the arms of the Chinese.”
•  Mexico
  • Mexico’s National Action Party and Institutional Revolutionary Party each condemned Putin’s invasion, with National Action Party member Santiago Creel blaming Putin for starting a world war.
•  United States
  • House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy criticized the invasion as “reckless and evil”, and vowing that the US will stand with Ukraine against attempts to “rewrite history” and “upend the balance of power in Europe”.
  • Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell urged the US government to provide aid to Ukraine, saying the government needs “to do everything we can to make this Russian incursion painful on the Russians who are engaged in it.”
  • Former president Donald Trump praised Putin, deeming the Russian president as “savvy” and “a genius”. Trump simultaneously attacked the Biden administration, claiming Russia’s invasion was due to the result of the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan and because of alleged election fraud in the 2020 United States presidential election.
    • Trump was widely criticized by both fellow Republicans and opposing Democrats for his remarks, with Utah Senator Mitt Romney, commenting that it’s “almost treasonous” for Trump and the GOP to defend Putin, who he called a dictator. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer additionally condemned Trump for his comments on Putin, blasting such comments as “despicable” for praising a “murderer”.
    • Trump later walked back on his comments praising Putin, calling the invasion of Ukraine as “a Holocaust”.
  • Various state governments announced that all imported vodka from Russia would be removed from store shelves and bars. As of February 28, 2022, governors and state agencies endorsing and enacting such limitations include Utah governor Spencer Cox, Ohio governor Mike DeWine, New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu, and Pennsylvania’s liquor control board.
  • Senator Lindsey Graham called for the Russian people to “take out Putin”, asking if there is “a Brutus in Russia”. Graham received wide-reaching bipartisan condemnation for his remarks implying the assassination of a head of state, including from Representatives Ilhan Omar and Marjorie Taylor Greene, US Ambassador to the Czech Republic Norm Eisen, and fellow Senator Ted Cruz.
  • On February 26, 2022, the Democratic Socialists of America issued a statement condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while also calling for the United States to withdraw from NATO and “end the imperialist expansionism that set the stage for this conflict.” According to Intelligencer, “The suggestion that the U.S. was somehow to blame for Vladimir Putin’s war of aggression was seized on by the DSA’s critics across the ideological spectrum — from the New York Post to Democratic congressional candidate Max Rose — while setting off a round of recriminations and counterstatements among American leftists.” Critics also described the suggestion as “tone deaf”.

South America

•  Argentina
  • The opposition Juntos por el Cambio condemned the Russian invasion, repudiated the difficult situation and made a call to respect the United Nations and international laws. Also some of their politicians went to protests at the local Russian embassy.
•  Bolivia
  • Former president and opposition leader Carlos Mesa decried the Russian invasion as “imperialist” and demanded that the Bolivian government release an official condemnation.
  • Former president Evo Morales blamed U.S. “interventionism” for triggering Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
  • Former president Jorge Quiroga urged 21st century socialists and Chavistas, “who for years stirred up ghosts of U.S. invasions that NEVER materialized”, to now condemn Russia’s breach of Ukrainian sovereignty.
•  Brazil
  • Former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from the Workers’ Party, said, “It is regrettable that, in the second decade of the 21st century, we have countries trying to settle their differences, whether territorial, political or commercial, through bombs, shots, attacks, when they should have been settled at the negotiating table”.
  • Candidates for the presidency Ciro Gomes (Democratic Labour Party), João Doria (Brazilian Social Democracy Party), Sergio Moro (Podemos) and Simone Tebet (Brazilian Democratic Movement) have condemned the invasion of Ukraine.
•  Cuba
  • Manuel Cuesta Morúa, Cuban dissident and spokesperson of the Arco Progresista, questioned on Twitter the support of Western Hemisphere’s leftist regimes for Russia. Morúa said, “What does the revolutionary left in this hemisphere say in the face of #Putin’s criminal attempt to destroy and appropriate #Ukraine? Does the right to national existence depend on ideology? Behind anti-Americanism, this left hides its weakness for #China and #Russia”.
  • Cuban journalist Yoani Sánchez also criticized the Cuban government’s “double standards on invasions of other nations”. Sánchez decried that “In 1968 Fidel Castro applauded the entry of Soviet tanks into Prague; now Miguel Díaz-Canel does not condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine… and the official press justifies it based on ‘security’ reasons.”
•  Uruguay
  • The Broad Front, main opposition party in the country, released a statement expressing their preoccupation regarding the conflict’s escalation while lamenting that, if the conflict continued, it could have grave consequences for both countries and the international community as well. The statement also called for “restraint, reciprocal respect, dialogue and diplomacy between the involved parts in order to reach a prompt resolution of the conflict, all within the framework of the principles stated in the Charter of the United Nations and all norms of international law”.
•  Venezuela
  • Disputed President and opposition leader Juan Guaidó condemned “the unjustifiable and heinous military invasion perpetrated” by Russia of Ukraine and accused the president, Nicolás Maduro, of supporting it. In a statement, “We express our support for the Ukrainian people and President (Volodymir) Zelensky after the unjustifiable and heinous military invasion perpetrated by President Putin, backed by the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro”.

Oceania

•  Australia
  • Opposition leader Anthony Albanese from the Australian Labor Party stated that it was “a grave moment for humanity” and that Australia and its allies must hold Russia to account for their “shameful act of aggression”.
•  New Zealand
  • Opposition MP from New Zealand National Party, Gerry Brownlee has suggested the government to expel Russian ambassador from New Zealand.
  • Opposition leader Christopher Luxon has also called the expulsion of Russian ambassador from New Zealand.

International human rights organizations

• Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard stated that the invasion “is likely to lead to the most horrific consequences for human lives and human rights” and called for “all parties to adhere strictly to international humanitarian law and international human rights law.”
• International Committee of the Red Cross President Peter Maurer stated that the “intensification and spread of the conflict risk a scale of death and destruction that are frightening to contemplate” and that “our teams now in Ukraine will continue their work to repair vital infrastructure, support health facilities with medicines and equipment, and support families with food and hygiene items.”
• Médecins Sans Frontières, who were already operating in Ukraine prior to the invasion, have stated that the rapid changes in the context have necessitated reduction and cessation of certain previously offered medical services, but that the organization is rapidly re-deploying to focus on the providing general emergency care to those who may need it.
• Memorial described the invasion as “a crime against peace and humanity” and said that it “will remain a shameful chapter in the Russian history.”
• Reporters Without Borders Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk head Jeanne Cavelier stated that “We are familiar with Russia’s methods… Journalists are prime targets, as we have seen in Crimea since its annexation in 2014, and in the territories controlled by Kremlin-backed separatists in the Donbass region” and called for “Russian and Ukrainian authorities to respect their international obligations regarding the protection of journalists during conflicts.”

Non-governmental organizations, non-political groups and individuals

• Venezuelan Sakharov Prize recipient and human rights activist, Lorent Saleh, expressed his support for Ukraine, saying that “It is an ethical issue to support those who stand up to great tyrannies” and that Putin “will always try to expand his regime using violence, blackmail and terror”.
• Author, activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai condemned the ongoing war in Ukraine and called for Russia to immediately halt its attacks on Ukraine.
•  Servare et Manere – the Slovak non-governmental organization, which is with the support of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic implementing the international Tree of Peace initiative, condemned the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. On 26 February, the organization categorically condemned the evils, injustices, gross violations of international law and the principles of the UN Charter. In 2018 and 2021, the ideas of the Tree of Peace were also implemented in the Russian Federation.
• The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spoke out against the attacks on the website of their foundation, Archewell, saying “Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and all of us at Archewell stand with the people of Ukraine against this breach of international and humanitarian law and encourage the global community and its leaders to do the same”. As they collected an award at the 53rd NAACP Image Awards ceremony on 26 February, the Duke also acknowledged the people of Ukraine and supported them.
• Greenpeace posted a picture depicting the statement “No War” and a peace symbol.
• International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The ICRC deployed one of its largest contingencies to Ukraine, where the organization is active since 2014, working closely with the Ukrainian Red Cross Society. The ICRC was active primarily in the disputed regions of the Donbas and Donetsk, assisting persons injured by armed confrontations when open hostilities between Russian and Ukrainian armed forces broke out on 24 February 2022. Thereafter the fighting moved to more populated areas in the Eastern Ukraine. The head of the ICRC delegation in Kyiv warned on 26 February 2022 that neighborhoods of major cities are becoming the frontline with significant consequences for their populations, including children, the sick and elderly. The ICRC urgently called on all parties to the conflict not to forget their obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure the protection of the civilian population and infrastructure, and respect the dignity of refugees and prisoners of war.
• The Georgian Wikipedia changed its logo to reflect the blue and gold coloring of Ukraine’s flag.
• The Wikimedia Foundation released a statement on 1 March, calling for “continued access to free and open knowledge” and for “an immediate and peaceful resolution to the conflict.”
• The YMCA launched a global fundraiser to support Ukrainian citizens fleeing the violence. Additionally, the YMCA of England and Wales has released a statement condemning the invasion.

Corporations

• Airbus and Boeing each suspended parts and maintenance support for Russian airlines. Boeing additionally closed its office in Kyiv and paused operations at its Moscow Training Campus.
• American Airlines severed all ties with Aeroflot and S7 Airlines and suspended interline agreements.
• American Express CEO Stephen Squeri expressed shock and sadness over the crisis in Ukraine. The company donated $1 million across four humanitarian agencies and blocked Russian banks from accessing its payment network.
• Apple halted all product sales in Russia, stating it was “deeply concerned” with the invasion of Ukraine. Apple services, such as Apple Pay and Apple Maps, have been limited.
• AT&T, T-Mobile US, and Verizon Communications all announced calls between Ukraine and anywhere else in the world would be free of charge. Each company also made additional statements which emphasized it stood with Ukraine.
• Bayer CEO stated “Bayer will closely monitor and mitigate these risks to the extent possible”. Bayer committed to financially assisting Ukrainian employees with funds and housing. In a statement, CEP Werner Baumann deemed the invasion “a threat to our freedom and democracy, and we at Bayer condemn in the most vigorous way, this Russian attack.”
• BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and Volvo all suspended sales of cars to Russia and delayed shipments of some newer cars. All four companies condemned the invasion. Mercedes and Volkswagen each also donated 1 million euros to Ukrainian humanitarian funds.
• Boohoo Group, which comprises Boohoo, PrettyLittleThing. Burton and Debenhams, has suspended sales in Russia.
• Carnival Cruise Line and its parent company Carnival Corporation announced all Russian tours would be cancelled, and that the company would severely limit dealings with Russian business entities.
• Coca-Cola continued operations in Russia amid the invasion of Ukraine  but had to halt production in Ukraine 
• Dell halted all sales of its products into the Russian Federation.
• Deloitte is considering pulling out of Russia
• Delta Air Lines announced on 25 February that was suspending ties with Russian carrier Aeroflot, following the U.K.’s barring Aeroflot from its airspace.
• Disney, Paramount Global, Sony, and Warner Bros. suspended the release of new feature films within Russia.
• Ericsson announced it will suspend its businesses in Russia.
• Elon Musk announced on 26 February that SpaceX’s Starlink satellites had become active over Ukraine after a request from the Ukrainian government to replace internet services destroyed by the Russian invasion.
• FedEx and United Parcel Service halted all shipments to both Ukraine and Russia upon the invasion. UPS stated all packages en route to Russia and Ukraine would be returned to the sender free of charge, if possible. FedEx made a similar announcement, but recommended consumers look up individual tracking numbers.
• Ford Motor Company and General Motors both immediately suspended all operations in Russia. The company denounced the invasion as a threat to “peace and stability”, and Ford announced it was donating $100,000 towards humanitarian funds.
• Google initiated a widespread blocking of Russian state media sources from advertising on their sites as well as freezing ad revenue for Russian state media YouTube channels. In an effort to prevent Ukrainian armed forces and civilians from being tracked on public platforms, Google also disabled tools in Google Maps relating to live traffic.
• Clothing retailer H&M is temporarily suspending all of its Russian operations.
• Japanese car manufacturers Honda, Toyota, and Mazda announced that they will halt their car exports to Russia to comply with international sanctions. In addition, Toyota also announced it has shut down its plant in Russia.
• HP Inc. has suspended product shipments to Russia.
• Inditex, one of the world’s largest fashion retailers with over 527 stores in Russia under brands Zara, Bershka, Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Stradivarius, Oysho, Zara Home and Uterqüe, continues to operate 
• IKEA suspended all its stores in Russia and halted its sourcing in Russia and Belarus.
• KFC operates over 1,000 stores in the Russian Federation but the company did not offer an official position on the impact to it’s operations. KFC offered food assistance to Ukrainians.
• McDonald’s owns the vast majority of the 847 McDonald’s stores in Russia, but the company did not offer an official position on operations in the Russian Federation. McDonald’s offered food assistance to Ukrainians.
• Spanish retailer Mango closed all its 126 shops in Russia.
• British clothing retailer Marks & Spencer has stopped shipments to its Russian franchise stores, and it’s donating £500 000 ($666 000, €605 000) to UNHCR.
• Mastercard and Visa blocked multiple financial institutions based in Russia from its payment network to comply with sanctions and each pledged US$2,000,000 in humanitarian relief funds.
• Meta Platforms, along with Google, halted advertising sales to Russian state media, such as RT.
• Microsoft condemned what it called a “tragic, unlawful, and unjustified invasion of Ukraine”. The tech giant has been actively involved in halting Russian cyberattacks against the Ukrainian government. While Microsoft president Brad Smith admitted his institution was a company, Smith emphasized that the role it would be playing “would not be a neutral one” and that Microsoft would be actively assisting the government of Ukraine, the EU, the US Federal Government, and NATO. On March 4th 2022, Microsoft has announced that they will suspend all sales and services in Russia. The company will also provide technology and financial support for humanitarian organizations in the region, and is offering support to Ukraine-based Microsoft employees.
• Netflix pulls Russian state media from all of its services, defying rules from Russia’s Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media.
• Nike, Inc disabled all online purchases of its products in Russia.
• PepsiCo continued operations in Russia amid the invasion of Ukraine 
• Roku removed RT from its streaming platform in the US and Europe.
• Sainsbury’s supermarkets have decided to rename the packaging of the dish chicken kiev to chicken kyiv, in solidarity with Ukraine.
• Scania AB suspended all business operations with Russia.
• Siemens continued maintenance-related activities, but put – as well as spin-off Siemens Energy – all new businesses on hold donating to the Red Cross’ effort to help Ukraine.
• Starbucks operates at least 140 stores in Russia  and did not announce its official position after Russian invasion of Ukraine 
• Tesla, Inc. announced that select Tesla Supercharger stations near Ukraine for its electric vehicles would be free of charge to use.
• Twitter, which had already paused all advertisements from all state media sources in 2019, paused all ads on Ukraine and Russia to ensure “critical public safety information is elevated and ads don’t detract from it”.

Oil and gas companies

• BP announced it was pulling out of a US$14 billion stake in Russian oil company Rosneft; current CEO Bernard Looney and former CEO Bob Dudley would also resign from the board of Rosneft.
• Chevron, while having limited business operations in Russia compared to many other large energy companies, deemed the invasion “a tragic situation” which forces the oil industry to make “very difficult decisions”.
• Eni announced that it would withdraw from the Blue Stream gas pipeline linking Russia to Turkey, in which it has a 50% stake.
• ExxonMobil announced it was pulling out of Sakhalin-I, its only Russian investment, and further announced it would temporarily halt all further investments into the Russian Federation. The company publicly announced it was complying with all sanctions against Russia, and in such statement, the oil giant blasted Russia’s actions in a statement that deemed the invasion as “violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine and endangers its people”.
• Shell announced on 28 February that they had ended partnerships with Russia’s Gazprom following the Russia-Ukraine invasion. Shell’s (RDSA) CEO, Ben van Beurden said in an interview “We are shocked by the loss of life in Ukraine, which we deplore, resulting from a senseless act of military aggression which threatens European security”. Shell continues to purchase Russian oil
• TotalEnergies condemned the invasion and openly supported all sanctions against Russia. However, Total did not sell its 19.4% stake in Gazprom, the largest Russian natural gas company. Shares of the energy company closed down nearly 3% on European stock markets.

Former politicians

• Gerhard Schröder, former chancellor of Germany, chairman of Russian energy company Rosneft, and friend of Putin, called for an end of the hostilities and to the suffering of Ukrainians, blaming both sides for past errors. In turn, Saskia Esken, co-leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, of which Schröder is a member, called on him to give up his mandates for Rosneft and Gazprom, companies that she named “infrastructure of a bloody war of aggression”. A few days later, Schröder’s chief of staff and three other employees resigned from their positions following Schröder’s refusal to relinquish their posts, while German chancellor Olaf Scholz joined the criticism on Schröder’s mandates.
• Angela Merkel, former chancellor of Germany, said about the Russian invasion, that there is “no justification for this blatant breach of international law, and I wholeheartedly condemn it”, wholly supporting her successor Olaf Scholz’ actions.
• Former President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko appeared on TV with a Kalashnikov rifle together with the civil defense forces on the streets of Kyiv. He also stated that he believed that “Putin will never conquer Ukraine, no matter how many soldiers he has, how many missiles he has, how many nuclear weapons he has… We Ukrainians are a free people, with a great European future. This is definitely so.”
• Former Prime Minister of France François Fillon, former Prime Minister of Italy Matteo Renzi, former Finnish Prime Minister Esko Aho and former Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern resigned from their positions on the boards of Russian companies as a form of protest. Wolfgang Schüssel, another former Austrian Chancellor, remained in the Board of Directors of the Russian energy corporation Lukoil.
• Former President of Bolivia Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé stated that the Bolivian government’s refusal to condemn the Russian invasion constituted a violation of the country’s Constitution.
• Former Presidents of the United States Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama have condemned the invasion. Jimmy Carter said, “I condemn this unjust assault on the sovereignty of Ukraine that threatens security in Europe and the entire world, and I call on President Putin to halt all military action and restore peace.” Bill Clinton said, “I stand with President Biden, our allies, and freedom-loving people around the world in condemning Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine.” Barack Obama said, “People of conscience around the world need to loudly and clearly condemn Russia’s actions and offer support for the Ukrainian people. And every American, regardless of party, should support President Biden’s efforts, in coordination with our closest allies, to impose hard-hitting sanctions on Russia — sanctions that impose a real price on Russia’s autocratic elites”. George W. Bush said, “Russia’s attack on Ukraine constitutes the gravest security crisis on the European continent since World War II. I join the international community in condemning Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine.”
• Former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe condemned the invasion: “It is a serious challenge to the international order we have created after the war, and we cannot forgive it.” He also said that Japan should arrange for nuclear sharing with the US, similar to NATO.
• Former Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper condemned the invasion: “No matter how long it takes, this territorial conquest of a peaceful neighbor must never be recognized…. They must be sanctioned, excluded, and punished at every turn”

Science

• 168 Nobel Prize winners signed an open letter in support of Ukraine, urging Russia to stop the war. The scientists compare the actions of Vladimir Putin with the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939 and Hitler’s subsequent invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941.
• NASA said that American astronauts and Russian cosmonauts currently aboard the International Space Station (ISS) would continue normal operations despite the invasion.
• The European Space Agency Director General Josef Aschbacher tweeted that he was sad and worried about the aggression and the organization would continue to monitor the “evolving” situation, but would continue to work on all programs including the ISS and ExoMars launch campaigns along with Russia.
• The International Congress of Mathematicians was scheduled to host the 2022 Conference in St. Petersburg in July 2022. Many mathematical societies called for it to be canceled and withdrew delegates. On 26 February, the International Mathematical Union announced the conference would be moved online.
• The Allianz der Wissenschaftsorganisationen  led by the German Research Foundation DFG and including the German Rectors’ Conference issued a statement to freeze all collaborations with Russian institutions and business companies and to stop all joint scientific events, new collaborations should not be initiated either. Moreover, they will continue cooperation with Ukrainian institutions and support students and scientists who have to leave their country because of the Russian invasion.
• In a meeting of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the Russian head of delegation Oleg Anisimov, a scientist at the State Hydrological Institute, apologized on behalf of the Russian people, denounced the invasion as unjustified, and expressed admiration towards the Ukrainian delegation for continuing to participate in conferences. The comments came after his Ukrainian counterpart Svitlana Krakovska made a speech connecting the war to climate change and called for an end to fossil fuel dependency. Anisimov’s declaration was described as a rare rebuke of the invasion by a Russian government official, although he clarified to AFP that his statements “expressed my personal opinion and attitude,” and should not be taken as an “official statement of the Russian delegation”.

Religious institutions

• The Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Epiphanius I (Orthodox Church of Ukraine) condemned the invasion and exhorted Ukrainians to fight against the Russian aggression, invoking God’s help to win the battle.
• The Major Archbishop of Kyiv and Halych Sviatoslav Shevchuk (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church) also condemned the invasion and wrote in the Ukrayinska Pravda that protecting the Motherland was a natural right and a civic duty.
• Metropolitan Onufriy of Kyiv, primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), stated that Russia had started military actions against Ukraine urged Ukrainians to show love for their homeland and each other. He also appealed directly to Putin to ask for an immediate end to the “fratricidal war”.
• A communiqué from the Vatican Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, without naming Putin, said that while the worst-case scenario was unfolding, “there is still time for goodwill, there is still room for negotiation, there is still room to exercise a wisdom that prevents partisan interests from prevailing, that protects the legitimate aspirations of all and spares the world the folly and horrors of war”. The previous day Pope Francis urged politicians to make an exercise of conscience before God for their actions over Ukraine and declared 2 March, Ash Wednesday, as an international day of fasting and prayer for peace.

• 

  Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in Kyiv in 2021

  The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I condemned the invasion, expressing deep sorrow, as well as his support for Ukraine and stated that “he prays to the God of love and peace to enlighten the leadership of the Russian Federation, in order to understand the tragic consequences of its decisions”.

• Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus’ (Russian Orthodox Church) expressed “heartfelt pain” at “events taking place” after Russia launched the attack and called “on all parties to the conflict to do everything possible to avoid civilian casualties”. He added that he “call on all parties to the conflict to do everything possible to avoid civilian casualties” and asks the Moscow Patriarchate “to raise a deep and fervent prayer for the rapid restoration of peace”. Kirill also appealed to the bishops, pastors, monastics, and laity to “provide all possible assistance to all victims, including refugees and people left homeless and without means of livelihood”. He called for the “speedy restoration of peace”. Three days later Patriarch Kirill also referred to Moscow’s opponents in Ukraine as “evil forces”, stating “we must not allow dark and hostile external forces to laugh at us.” Those statements of Kirill on the invasion have been seen as pro-Putin and providing historical and religious justification to the war.
• In a joint statement, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell defined the invasion as a “great evil”, calling for a public decision to choose the path to peace and an international conference to formulate agreements for long-term stability and peace while supporting the Pope’s proposal for a global day of prayer and fasting for peace.

• 

  Hilarion Kapral

  Metropolitan Hilarion Kapral, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, issued a statement where he did not acknowledge the war but inviting the faithful to “refrain from excess watching of television, following newspapers or the internet” and “close their hearts to the passions ignited by the mass media.” In the statement, he used the term the Ukrainian land instead of Ukraine, a move seen as a deliberate denial of Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty. Hilarion has close ties to the Kremlin and to Valdimir Putin, from whom he was awarded the Order of Honour and the Order of Alexander Nevsky.

• Patriarch of Serbian Orthodox Church Porfirije announced that Serbian Orthodox Church will be sending help, to our brothers in Ukraine” and that all donations in the temples that are collected these days will be sent to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and its Metropolitan, who will help deliver them where needed
• Russian Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar spoke out against the invasion, called Russia to withdraw and for an end to the war, and offered to mediate. American Rabbi Shmuley Boteach wrote an article in The Jerusalem Post with the sub-heading: “Vladimir Putin is important to world Jewry, but this does not change the fact that the Russian president is a monster.”
• The umbrella organizations Eurodiaconia  and the European Humanist Federation also issued statements condemning the invasion and calling for peace.

Hacking groups

Anonymous

• The hacking group Anonymous condemned the invasion; the group tweeted on 24 February that it is “currently involved in operations against the Russian Federation”, and declared on Twitter less than an hour later that it was “officially in cyber war against the Russian government”. The group later, in its set of two tweets, claimed “while people around the globe smash your internet providers to bits, understand that it’s entirely directed at the actions of the Russian government and Putin.” Furthermore, they had hacked several Russian websites and industrial control systems such as Modbus devices and emphasized that “Anonymous is not a group, not a country, but an amorphous idea. It flows like air, like water, like everything. Let it be known that since its inception, Anonymous never have restrictions that say that only homo sapiens can be part of it.”
• In a defaced Russian website, Anonymous threatened that any further cyber attacks will be “precipitated by Russia’s continued failure in recognizing the territorial aggression in itself is nothing but a relic of dark ages in the distant past.”
• On 26 February 2022, several accounts on Twitter claiming to be affiliated with Anonymous stated the group hacked and took down the Kremlin’s official websites in a series of cyber attacks. Some of the websites hit by the attacks included the Russian Center for the Protection of Monuments, which was turned into a rogue page which included Ukrainian colors and the pop-up message “WE ARE ANONYMOUS! WE ARE LEGION! WE DO NOT FORGIVE! WE DO NOT FORGET! EXPECT US!”. On such page, Anonymous claimed to commence “Operation Samantha Smith”, which involved hacking a Russian Linux terminal and a gas control system in North Ossetia, almost succeeding. Anonymous stated that by changing the dates, the gas pressure almost caused an explosion (which the group phrased as “turning into fireworks”), but did not because of a fast-acting human worker at the gas control system. The page, which has been archived on the Internet Archive, contained a long line of text in English and Russian proposing a neutral security belt composed of Ukraine, Finland, and Georgia, among other countries, as well as YouTube videos of President Zelenskyy, screenshots of the gas controller during the hack, clips from the ending of the movie The Matrix, a video message from Anonymous itself mirroring some of the details posted to the website, and the “WE ARE ANONYMOUS” pop-up message repeated. The Russian government denied it was hacked by the group.
• That same day, RT was attacked by Anonymous by a distributed denial-of-service attack involving over 100 million mostly American devices. RT acknowledged the attack, unlike the Kremlin, and stated that the attack occurred after Anonymous “declared war” on Russia.
• Anonymous is also believed to be responsible for hacking several Russian state TV channels; many users on Twitter and TikTok uploaded videos showing channels playing Ukrainian music and displaying pro-Ukraine images, flags, and symbols.

Culture

• Cultural heritage organization Europa Nostra, the European Association of Archaeologists, the European Union National Institutes for Culture and the Network of European Museum Organisations also issued statements condemning the invasion and calling for peace.

Broadcast media

• The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) initially stated that Russia would still be allowed to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022, but that it would “continue to monitor the situation closely.” Finland had threatened to boycott the competition should Russia be allowed to participate. However, on 25 February, the EBU announced that Russia would not be allowed to compete, stating that “the inclusion of a Russian entry in this year’s Contest would bring the competition into disrepute.”
• American actor/director Sean Penn is currently in Ukraine filming a documentary about the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. On 25 February 2022, Penn stated that “If we allow it to fight alone, our soul as America is lost.”
• American sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live opted to forgo the show’s usual comedic cold open; instead, cast members Kate McKinnon and Cecily Strong introduced the Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York, who performed “Prayer for Ukraine”. The cold open ended with McKinnon and Strong solemnly saying the show’s opening catchphrase behind a table with candles spelling out “Kyiv”. This was only the sixth time the show has broken format for the cold open in light of recent events, after the September 11 attacks in 2001, the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, the November 2015 Paris attacks, Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 United States presidential election, and the 2017 Las Vegas shootings.
• Annual Glasgow Film Festival decided to pull two Russian movies, No Looking Back directed by Kirill Sokolov and The Execution directed by Lado Kvataniya from the festival, stating that “it would be inappropriate to proceed as normal with these screenings in the current circumstances”. The organizing committee stated that film tickets would be refunded in the next 24 hours for those who had bought the tickets.
• The Simpsons’ official Twitter account posted a photo of main characters Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie all holding or donning Ukrainian flags. Showrunner Al Jean commented “We don’t do this very often, only very rarely when there’s something… extremely important for a cause that could not be bigger.”
• At the initiative of Patricia Schlesinger  (RBB/ARD) and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), more than 200 German radio stations and more than 150 public radio broadcasters from 25 European countries simultaneously aired John Lennon’s and Yoko Ono’s anti-war song “Give Peace a Chance” at 8:45 CET on Friday 4 March.

Dance

• The Royal Opera House in London canceled a planned summer tour by Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet.

Lighting of landmarks

The landmarks lit up in Ukrainian colors included: The Empire State Building, the New York State Assembly, the Pennsylvania State Capitol, the Missouri State Capitol, the Niagara Falls, CN Tower, 3D Toronto sign, downtown Dallas skyline including Reunion Tower and Omni Dallas Hotel, Calgary Tower, the Memorial Bridge, the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, the Acosta Bridge, the Zakim Bridge, the Terminal Tower, the Obelisco de Buenos Aires, the London Eye, the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, Brandenburg Gate, the Fisherman’s Bastion, the Palazzo Marino, Cybele Palace, Nelson’s Column, the Ludwigsburg Palace, the Øresund Bridge, St Andrew’s House, Wembley stadium, the Crown Buildings, the Senedd building, the SIS Building, 10 Downing Street, St George’s Hall, the Royal National Theatre, Ely Cathedral, Blackpool Tower, Somerset House, the Oxo Tower, Bratislava Castle, Grassalkovich Palace, Petřín Lookout Tower, Sarajevo City Hall, the Mole Antonelliana, the Belém Palace, Stenbock House, Palace of Culture and Science, Cotroceni Palace, Vukovar water tower, Tokyo Skytree, Sebitseom, the N Seoul Tower, Taipei 101, Kaohsiung Music Center, numerous landmarks in Melbourne including Flinders Train Station, the Sydney Opera House, as well as ministries of foreign affairs in Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, and the United Kingdom.

Music

• Russian rapper Oxxxymiron announced he would cancel six concerts in Moscow and St. Petersburg in response to the invasion.

• 

  Valery Gergiev

  Mayor of Munich Dieter Reiter stated on 25 February that he would remove Valery Gergiev as conductor of the Munich Philharmonic unless Gergiev publicly condemned the Russian invasion before 28 February. Gergiev has previously been vocal in support of Russian President Putin. Similarly, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra said that it would drop Gergiev from its September festival if he did not stop supporting Putin. Milan’s La Scala also sent a letter to Gergiev asking him to declare his support for a peaceful resolution in Ukraine or he would not be permitted to complete his engagement conducting Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades. This followed an announcement by New York City’s Carnegie Hall that it had canceled two May performances by the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra that were to be conducted by Gergiev and the Vienna Philharmonic dropped Gergiev from a five-concert tour in the U.S. that was to start on 25 February. Gergiev did not comply with the ultimatum from the mayor of Munich, who dismissed him on 1 March.

• Green Day announced on 27 February that they were canceling the Moscow concert scheduled for 29 May on the grounds that “we are aware that this moment is not about stadium rock shows, it’s much bigger than that.”
• Russian Semyon Bychkov, music director of the Czech Philharmonic, issued a statement critical of Putin.
• The Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Berlin Philharmonic dedicated performances in light of the invasion.
• English indie rock band alt-J cancelled all their gigs in Russia scheduled to be held in the summer and called on Putin to end the war.
• Ukrainian metalcore band Jinjer cancelled their spring North American tour in order to focus on relief efforts. On March 4th, the band announced two exclusive t-shirt designs. Proceeds from these sales would support Ukrainian charitable organizations. “

Social media

• The phrase “World War III” and hashtag “#WWIII” trended on Twitter as the invasion began due to fears the conflict could draw in NATO members into a larger war with Russia as well as memes joking about the situation.

Video games

• 11 Bit Studios, a Polish video game company, creators of the 2014 war survival video game This War of Mine, where the player controls civilians during a military siege of the fictional city of Pogoren in the equally fictional eastern European country of Graznavia, announced on 24 February 2022 that in responsive to the invasion, all money raised from sales of the game (which costs US Dollar $4.99 on Steam) from 24 February 2022 to 3 March 2022 will be donated to the Ukrainian Red Cross to directly help victims of the invasion.
• GSC Game World, a Ukrainian game company and the creators of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, made a tweet urging fans and game journalists to donate to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and provided a special account that would handle donations. They also stated that the development of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl would be delayed to allow for staff to be safe during the invasion.
• Frogwares the Ukrainian-based studio, on Twitter stated that they will not tolerate the aggression on their Homeland where the studio is located.
• Vostok Games, a Ukrainian studio, have Tweeted on the day of invasion Ukrainian flag and hashtag “#StandWithUkraine”
• The Farm 51, another Polish game company, made a tweet that included links to Polish Humanitarian Action and the Ukrainian Red Cross in solidarity.
• Ubisoft released a Twitter statement on 26 February stating “all of our hearts are with our teams and their loved ones in Ukraine”. The company, which operates development studios in Kyiv and Odessa, provided its Ukrainian workforce with additional funds, paid salaries in advance to accounts that may be subject to disrupted banking systems, and encouraged its Ukrainian workforce to either take shelter or relocate. Ubisoft also pledged €200,000 to Save the Children and the Ukrainian Red Cross.
• Bungie, the Destiny 2 developing studio, on Twitter expressed their solidarity and monetary support to Ukraine and it’s people on 25 February 2022. They stated that they will be donating 100% of the proceeds of the first 48 hours of the Game2Give drive to humanitarian aid efforts. CEO of Bungie independently have came out with solidarity to Ukraine.
• Raw Fury tweeted on 25 February 2022 their statement. They expressed their solidarity and vowed to donate to Ukrainian Red Cross in support of victims of war.
• CD Projekt Red a Polish game studio, known for The Witcher game franchise and Cyberpunk 2077, tweeted on 25 February 2022 that they will stand in solidarity with Ukrainian people and that they will donate 1 million PLN to Polska Akcja Humanitarna (PAH), Poland-based humanitarian organization. On March 3rd, CD Projekt have announced that they will suspend sales of digital and physical stock deliveries of CD Projekt Group products, as well as games distributed on the GOG to Russia and Belarus.
• Techland also a Polish game studio, known for Dying Light games, have Tweeted similar statement as CD Projekt Red on 26 February 2022 that they have been left devastated and heartbroken due to events on Ukraine. in supporting their neighbors from Ukraine by donating 1 million PLN to PAH.
• SCS Software on 28 February 2022 have put out the statement that they stand in solidarity with Ukraine and will give monetary support in form of via releasing the DLC package with Ukrainian paint jobs and donating 100% of revenue to the ones in need in Ukraine. The studio also stated that they are in touch with charities and already donated €20,000.
• The war broke out when the Intel Extreme Masters Season XVI in Katowice was taking place. Ukrainian player S1mple made a speech and called for peace. Many e-sports organizations have also expressed support for Ukraine.
• Avalanche Studios Group put out statement on their Twitter account on 2 March 2022. They strongly condemned Russian invasion of Ukraine and announced that will be donating to Humanitarian efforts to alleviate people’s sufferings.
• Wargaming, a game developer headquartered in Nicosia with studios in Minsk, Saint Petersburg and Kyiv, fired its Creative Director, Sergey Burkatovskiy, after he expressed support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine; the company issued the statement that “Sergey is an employee of the company and expressed his personal opinion, which categorically does not coincide with the position of the company. All our staff are now focused on helping our over 550 colleagues from Kyiv and their families… Sergei’s opinion is in complete contradiction with the company’s position. He is no longer an employee of Wargaming.” Wargaming Kyiv also announced a 30 million hryvina (1 million USD) donation to the Ukrainian Red Cross.
• Wube Software, a game developer based in the Czech Republic, creators of Factorio, have posted on steam in support of Ukraine, calling Russia’s military’s actions inexcusable.
• Unity Technologies, the developers of the Unity Engine, have expressed they solidarity and support for Ukraine. Internally Unity employees are directly supporting four international humanitarian charities focused on helping people in Ukraine with “triple-matching” commitment from from the company and their leaders. Unity also launched two related initiatives on Unity Asset Store.
• EA Sports remove all Russian clubs from NHL 22 and FIFA 22 after the Ukraine Invasion. In a statement EA said, “EA Sports has initiated processes to remove the Russian national team and all Russian clubs from EA Sports FIFA products including: FIFA 22, FIFA Mobile and FIFA Online.” On 4 March, Electronic Arts, parent company of EA Sports, have announced that they will no longer sell content, games, or virtual currency in territories of Russia and Belarus. “We have made the decision to stop sales of our games and content, including virtual currency bundles, in Russia and Belarus while this conflict continues,” EA said in a statement. “As a result, our games and content will no longer be available for purchase in our Russian region storefront on Origin or the EA app, including through in-game stores. We are also working with our platform partners to remove our titles from their stores and stop the sale of new in-game content in the region.”
• IO Interactive a game developing studio based in Copenhagen, known for game franchise Hitman, have published a statement on their Twitter account. They expressed their solidarity to Ukraine and announced that they will be donating €100,000 to Red Cross to get Humanitarian aid those in need.
• Devolver Digital on 3 March 2022, Has posted Tweet expressing their support for Ukraine and linked the pages to donate to Ukraine’s Humanitarian efforts.
• The Pokémon Company on 3 March 2022 posted their statement on Twitter. They expressed their solidarity to kids and families of Ukraine and made immediate donation $200,000 to their partners at GlobalGiving to provide humanitarian relief.
• Microsoft announced on 4 March 2022 that they will suspend sales in Russia, including Xbox hardware and games. This will include also services that Microsoft provides such as Xbox/PC Game Pass. The move follows a public call from Ukraine for game companies, including Xbox, to temporarily stop support for Russia and Belarus.
• Remedy Entertainment a game studio known for games like Alan Wake, Control and Quantum Break have published their statement on Twitter expressing solidarity. They announced that they €50,000 to Red Cross to help to alleviate some of the sufferings. They also stated that they will support their Ukrainian employees, their families and their loved ones. They also will be helping their Russian employees as well as their are also affected by the war.
• Nintendo announced on 4 March 2022 that the Russian Nintendo eShop will be placed into maintenance mode, effectively disabling purchases and downloads for Nintendo Switch digital games, content, and microtransactions in Russia. The payment service served used by Nintendo suspended the processing of payments in rubles as a result of the sanctions.

Sports

Following the invasion, multiple events were either moved, suspended, or cancelled. UEFA, the European association football governing body, announced that the 2022 UEFA Champions League Final would be moved from Saint Petersburg to Paris. The Russian Grand Prix for the 2022 Formula One Championship was suspended and it was cancelled on 1 March. The International Federation of Sport Climbing announced the suspension of the Boulder and Speed World Cup in Moscow, 1–3 April, with intent to relocate and reschedule the event. The International Ski Federation announced that all remaining events in Russia were cancelled. The World Curling Federation announced that the 2022 European Curling Championship, scheduled for 19–26 November, will no longer be held in Perm. The ATP chose to move the St. Petersburg Open tournament. On 27 February 2022, FINA announced that they withdrew Russia’s hosting rights for the 2022 World Junior Swimming Championships. On 1 March 2022 the International Volleyball Federation withdraws Russia’s hosting rights of the 2022 Men’s World Championship scheduled for August and September.

Individual athletes, teams, and organizations

The invasion has affected Ukraine’s participation at the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing, China, with International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons describing transporting the Ukrainian team to Beijing as being an enormous challenge. On 2 March 2022, Parsons confirmed the team should be able to compete at the Games.

Russians

Some Russian athletes made deliberately ambiguous statements for peace without directly mentioning the Russian invasion. Russian NHL player Alex Ovechkin, the captain of the Washington Capitals, pleaded for “no more war”. However, Czech former Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators goaltender Dominik Hašek responded to Ovechkin and criticised him for his past support of Putin, stating “What!? Not only an alibist, a chicken shit, but also a liar!”, while also calling on the NHL to suspend all Russian players. Russian figure skater Evgenia Medvedeva called for “this all as soon as possible, like a bad dream”. Russian tennis players Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev called for peace between nations. Russian chess player Ian Nepomniachtchi made a more concrete statement, tweeting: “History has seen many Black Thursdays. But today is blacker than the others. #saynotowar”. His teammate Sergey Karjakin supported Russia’s invasion, however, and released a message approving of Putin’s actions; he will face FIDE’s Ethics and Disciplinary Commission for his comments and is no longer welcome at the 2022 top tournaments Norway Chess and London Chess Classic. Russian chess grandmaster and longtime Putin critic Garry Kasparov denounced the invasion. Russian former Formula One driver for Scuderia AlphaTauri Daniil Kvyat said he did not support the war and hoped for a peaceful solution, but Kvyat also stated its an “unfair solution” to ban all Russian athletes. Nikita Mazepin, who currently races in Haas, said in a tweet that he was “not in control over a lot of what is being said and done”.

Auto racing

The invasion raised concern from Formula One drivers, including Red Bull Racing Belgian-Dutch driver and reigning champion Max Verstappen, Aston Martin German driver and four-time champion Sebastian Vettel, and Scuderia AlphaTauri French driver Pierre Gasly, with Vettel threatening to boycott the race in Sochi should the race go as planned. The invasion also left Russian Haas driver Mazepin’s future in limbo due to possible visa restrictions; Italian-American team principal Guenther Steiner admitted that Mazepin’s future had been left uncertain due to the ongoing events and will resolve the issues shortly. Mazepin’s position is also in limbo due to his father Dmitry Mazepin, being a Russian oligarch tied to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Former NASCAR Cup Series driver and current owner of Richard Childress Racing, American Richard Childress, announced on Fox News TV show Fox & Friends that he would donate one million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine.

Bandy

Sweden and Finland announced that they will boycott the 2020–2022 Bandy World Championship in Irkutsk which is scheduled to be held in October 2022. Both countries also boycotted the World under-17 Championships set to be held in Kemerovo in March 2022.

Basketball

The NBA’s two Ukrainian players, Alex Len of the Sacramento Kings and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk of the Toronto Raptors, both condemned the invasion.

Boxing