US plans to impose sanctions on Vladimir Putin
Different countries have been expressing their position on the situation in Ukraine.
Joe Biden, president of the United States, plans to sanction Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, for ordering his military troops that invaded Russia.
The White House has made this decision that could affect Putin's inner circle and the Russian economy.
One source confirmed that these new sanctions could include several additional Russian officials. However, he did not give details of who these people are, nor the magnitude of said sanctions.
Biden stated that the idea of sanctioning Putin is an option that he began to consider after the invasion of Ukrainian territory. On Thursday, after this invasion began, he confirmed that the measure was already "on the table."
Biden accused Putin of launching an unwarranted and unprovoked attack on the city of Kiev, only to spark a premeditated war, which would start great loss of life and great suffering.
Sanctions for Russia by the European Union
Leaders from all over the world, especially from European countries, have condemned Russia's attack on Ukraine and demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops and called for calm.
A second package of sanctions was approved this Friday by the European Union.
Among the measures is the freezing of assets of Putin and Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister. In addition, commercial, energy and financial restrictions would be taken into account.
Josep Borell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs of the European Union, explained that a third package of sanctions should not be expected in the following days.
For this reason, the application of more measures would depend solely on the evolution of the war and the behavior of Moscow.
Other countries
Germany and France also joined the request to convene an urgent summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), to put an end to the conflict that represents a security and stability threat to citizens.
Therefore, Germany made the decision to send 1,000 anti-tank grenade launchers and 500 Stinger anti-aircraft defense missiles, which belong to the German armed forces, as soon as possible.
Hua Chunying, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, told a press conference that her country has asked all parties involved to remain calm to prevent the situation from getting out of control.
Emmanuel Macron, President of France, asked Russia to immediately suspend military operations on Ukrainian territory, calling this event a war.
Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor, has also condemned the attacks and considers this event to be a flagrant breach of international law.
Scholz also assured that this cannot be justified in any way and explained that his government has offered massive support.
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, appealed NATO article 4 which stipulates an immediate consultation between the organization's allies. They have also testified about Russia's predictable disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks.
The Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Portugal joined Germany in sending weapons for the defense of the citizens of Ukraine.
Milos Zeman, president of the Czech Republic, called for "the madman to be isolated," referring to Putin, whom he had shown admiration for in the past.