US House mulls resolution to expel Russia from UNSC amid calls for global sanctioning

As Russian troops inch closer to capturing Ukraine, the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday, is considering a resolution for the expulsion of Russia from the UN Security Council, as per Axios. This comes after US President Joe Biden imposed stricter sanctions on Russia - a permanent member of the UNSC. Currently, Russia is chairing the UNSC, which will now vote on the global sanctioning of Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

US House mulls expelling Russia from UNSC

As Ukraine's UN member pleaded with the UN Security Council to defend it from Russia, Putin ordered a special military operation in Ukraine's Donbas region. Addressing the UNSC, he said, "Russian President is on record declared war. It's the responsibility of this body to stop this war. I call on everyone to stop the war". As NATO calls for an emergency meeting, 137 civilians and military personnel have been killed since Thursday, when Russia invaded Ukraine.

Sanctions on Russia

In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Union has announced 'maximum impact' sanctions on Russia targetting the country's financial, energy and transport sectors, visa policy, exports among other areas. US has levied sanctions on Russian banks, limited international trade with Moscow, froze assets of Putin's inner circle. While US has refused to step foot into Ukraine, it has sent over 12,000 people to Europe. Similar sanctions have been levied on Belarus for aiding Russian troops to attack Ukraine. Australia, Germany, Taiwan, France, Germany, EU, Japan have also levied financial, trade, diplomatic sanctions on Russia.

Putin has also faced anti-war protests by Russian citizens who took to streets in 54 Russian cities condemning him. Anti-Russia protests was also witnessed in Washington, Hungary, Germany as Putin attacked Ukraine. With over 20,000 students stuck in Ukraine, PM Modi has spoken to Putin, seeking their safe return to India. Currently, Ukraine's deputy defence minister said that Russian troops wearing Ukrainian uniforms were able to seize Ukrainian military vehicles and are now heading towards Kyiv.

Russia invades Ukraine

For weeks, Moscow massed over 150,000 troops on Ukraine's borders in a bid to pressurise Western nations to not allow Ukraine to join NATO, threatening an invasion. On Thursday, Putin ordered a special military operation in Ukraine's Donbas region, which quickly accelerated into precision airstrikes on Kyiv, Kharkiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, deployed tanks towards Lviv from the Belarus-Ukraine border. The Russian Navy is attacking from the shores of Mariupol and Odessa and troops have taken over Chernobyl nuclear plant, heading towards Kyiv.

While NATO forces are assembling in Ukraine's neighbouring nations, Putin has warned foreign powers of 'consequences as never seen before' if they intervene in the Ukraine conflict. With Zelenskyy ordering martial law and full Army mobilisation, over 100,000 Ukrainians have fled while many nationals including Indians are stuck in Ukraine airspaces were shut down. Russia has already annexed Ukraine's Crimea Peninsula in 2014 and recently recognised two rebel regions of Ukraine (Luhansk and Donetsk) as independent.