Baltic states, Bulgaria, Georgia decry Russian intervention in Ukraine

TBILISI, Georgia/SOFIA, Bulgaria/ANKARA

The three Baltic nations and Bulgaria and Georgia on Thursday denounced Russia's military intervention in Ukraine.

The foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – the Baltic states – issued a joint statement condemning in the “strongest possible way the open large-scale Russian aggression against the independent, peaceful, and democratic Ukraine.”

Stressing that “this act of aggression is not acceptable,” the statement said Russia’s attack on Ukraine is a “blatant violation of the international law, of all international norms, and a crime against Ukrainian people.”

They urged the international community to impose the strongest possible sanctions on Moscow, including Russia’s exclusion from the international payments communication system SWIFT.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and Prime Minister Kiril Petkov both condemned Russia’s “absolutely unacceptable” military intervention in Ukraine.

At a joint news conference, Radev said his country’s doors are open to Bulgarians in Ukraine and to Ukrainian citizens seeking asylum.

“We strongly condemn the actions of the Russian Federation. Bulgaria will take a joint stance with NATO against this unacceptable attempt,” Petkov added.

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili expressed support for Ukraine and called for a stop to Russian aggression.

“Georgian nation shocked by the Russian aggression in Ukraine. We stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people and call for a halt of the military operations,” she said on Twitter.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military intervention in Ukraine early Thursday, just days after recognizing two separatist-held enclaves in eastern Ukraine, drawing widespread international condemnation and announcements of tougher sanctions on Moscow.

The intervention followed a month-long buildup of some 100,000 troops around Ukraine, with Russia repeatedly denying any intent to launch an invasion.

There were also reports on Thursday of explosions in several Ukrainian provinces, including the capital Kyiv, and several military vehicles reportedly crossed the border from Belarus into Ukraine.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar