Ukraine's President Zelensky calls up reservists aged 18 to 60 to 'fight for nation'

Ukraine on Tuesday began conscripting reservists aged 18-60 after the Russian President signed decrees that allow troops to enter the eastern Ukrainian territories on so-called ‘peacekeeping functions.’ President Volodymyr Zelensky, separately on Wednesday signed an armed forces decree that allowed reservists to serve up to a maximum one year period in the Ukraine Army.

Zelinsky said in a statement that he was introducing the conscription of reservists, but ruled out a mobilisation of the troops in pro-Russian breakaway regions in East Kyiv areas. The law, he informed was approved last November. It allows reservists into the army during “special periods” of security vulnerabilities and internal turmoil. 

Kyiv raising 'preparedness of its army': Zelensky

Kyiv’s announcement comes as Russian leader Vladimir Putin accused the ruling government of bloodshed and genocide, all the while demanding that Moscow’s security guarantees were non-negotiable. Ukrainian leader, acknowledging the coalition sanctions by the West, stressed that his government would work to “raise the preparedness of the Ukrainian army to all possible changes in the operational situation.”

He also urged the civilians not to panic as he called on the reserves to counter Russian troop concentration on three sides - Ukraine’s southern, eastern and northern frontiers as threats of an armed invasion looms. Zelinsky on Tuesday asked civilians to fight for their freedom and sovereignty. 

“Ukraine is a peaceful nation,” Kyiv’s leader said in a statement. “We want quiet. But if we are silent today, then tomorrow we will disappear. Before us lies hard work, every day, but we are prepared for it with confidence in ourselves, in our country, in victory,” the document reportedly stated. 

[Credit: AP]

US president Joe Biden at a White House conference declared that Russia is “beginning” an invasion of Ukraine. Though he said that there was still time to avoid war and pursue diplomatic channels of negotiations. “Who in the Lord’s name does Putin think gives him the right to declare new so-called countries?” Biden asserted, condemning breakaway provinces' formal recognition by Moscow.

He then announced a set of sanctions on two Russian banks and punitive measures that will dismantle Moscow’s capital flowing into the West’s markets. US secretary of state Antony Blinken meanwhile cancelled a meeting scheduled for Thursday with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, calling the Ukrainian crisis the “greatest threat to Europe since World War II".

Russian gov't acting like 'thugs': Australia

Uk’s foreign minister Liz Truss threatened Russia’s leader, stating that the UK was willing to “[turn] up the heat” on a “long list” of sanctions. Germany, in an abrupt move, stopped the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project with Moscow. Australian prime minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday at a presser that the Russian government was “behaving like thugs and bullies.” Canada’s Justin Trudeau announced that he was mobilising hundreds more troops to eastern Europe to bolster NATO’s allied forces. Make no mistake this is a further invasion of a sovereign state and it is completely unacceptable,” he warned. Japanese Prime Minister called for the Russian government to return to diplomatic processes, as the country targeted Russian government bonds and trade.