Queen Nwabueze
Developments in the Russia-Ukraine crisis are becoming tenser as Ukraine has ordered its citizens in Russia to vacate the country immediately.
Warning its people to avoid travelling to Russia for now, the Ukrainian government also voted to impose sanctions on 351 Russian lawmakers.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelReportedly, the latest development came after Russian President, Vladimir Putin said, Moscow is “always open” to diplomacy, days after ordering troops into eastern Ukraine and recognising the independence of two self-declared republics in the region.
In another report, Ukraine has concluded plans to impose a state of emergency across the entire country.
This was revealed at a media conference on Wednesday. Ukraine’s top security official, Oleksiy Danilov announced, the state of emergency would be imposed for 30 days and could be extended for another 30 days if things do not look up.
While the proposed state of emergency awaits approval by parliament, Danilov hinted Regional commissions will be set up, which will include representatives of state and local authorities who can make decisions on security measures.
He emphasised that the government shall have no choice that to impose martial law in Ukraine if Russia should launch a full-scale invasion of the country.
The official also said that the state of emergency will apply to all Ukrainian territory, with the exception of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the country’s east, which have been under a state of emergency since 2014.
Recall, about 13,000 people had died in a conflict in Donetsk and Luhansk in an eight-year war between government forces and pro-Moscow separatists.
Meanwhile, the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has announced that Britain shall continue to send more weapons to Ukraine to help.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Johnson said the decision had been made “in light of the increasingly threatening behavior from Russia.”
“The U.K. will shortly be providing a further package of military support to Ukraine. This will include lethal aid in the form of defensive weapons, and non-lethal aid,” Johnson said.
