As Western nations tightened sanctions against Russia following its Thursday invasion of Ukraine, Russian president Vladimir Putin put his nation’s nuclear defenses on high alert. That action raised accusations of “fear mongering.” It also prompted responses that included Europe and Canada closing their airspace to Russian airlines, numerous countries including the United States and Germany offering weapons to Ukraine, and the expansion of a civilian soldier training program in the imperiled country.
Over the weekend, Ukraine’s military and citizen defenses managed to prevent Russia from taking Kyiv, the capital, as well as other cities.
In a shocking move on Sunday, Putin ordered Russian nuclear weapons to be prepared for “increased readiness to launch.” He claimed that leading NATO powers had made “aggressive statements” toward Russia in addition to stiff economic sanctions including cutting Russian banks out of a global banking system.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called Putin’s order “dangerous rhetoric.” Its practical implication was not clear, but it was clear that he intended to strike fear in the minds of those who oppose his attempt to take over Ukraine.
Russian troops drew closer to Kyiv, and street fighting broke out in the second-largest city, Kharkiv. While most residents hunkered down inside homes, underground garages, and subway stations, many turned out to be issued guns and receive training on shooting, hurling grenades and Molotov cocktails (firebombs made with glass bottles and burning cloth wicks), and other defensive tactics to bolster military efforts in close combat. One young couple took wedding vows and then lined up together to be issued rifles and training. Another young woman gripped the barrel of a gun with a fresh, multicolor manicure. Some reports claim that even elderly citizens and school children were being equipped for defense.
The United States offered an evacuation plan to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but the former television-star-turned-president refused to leave Kyiv. While he sent his wife and two children into hiding, he remained to participate in the defense of the capital. Zelenskyy agreed to send a Ukrainian delegation to meet Russian counterparts at an unspecified time and location on the Belarusian border. Belarus has allowed Russia to use its territory as a staging ground for the invasion.
Approximately 368,000 Ukrainians—mostly women and children—have fled the country, with the majority seeking refuge in Poland and Hungary. A line of vehicles at the Poland-Ukraine border stretched almost nine miles over the weekend. A small trickle of vehicles headed against that tide. They included men and women living outside Ukraine who returned to help defend their home.
Following economic sanctions, the European Union moved to close its airspace to Russia’s airlines, while Germany agreed to send anti-tank and surface-to-air missiles to Ukraine. The United States also offered Stinger missiles. Many Western nations have promised financial assistance to support Ukraine’s defense efforts.
BP oil company pulled its approximately 20% share out of a major Russian oil and gas company—a move that lands a blow to Russia’s largest international export. Financial analysts noted a drop in the value of Russian currency, the ruble—a sign that sanctions are having an effect.
Meanwhile, back in Russia, thousands of Russian citizens took to their own city centers to march in protest of the war. Police were quick to try to quash the protests, detaining at least 5,000 protesters for their civil disobedience.
The United Nations Security Council voted to hold an emergency session on the invasion on Monday.
(Newlyweds Yarina Arieva and Svyatoslav Fursinb, left, pose for a photo after they joined the ranks of the city territorial defense the day after they got married in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Friday, February 25, 2022. AP/Mikhail Palinchak)
