Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced a partial military mobilisation in Russia for the seven-month-old war in Ukraine, warning it is “not a bluff”, reports Aljazeera.
In a televised address to the nation on Wednesday, Putin said he was defending Russian territories and that the West wanted to destroy the country.
He said Russia would use all the means at its disposal to protect its territory.
Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu told state media that Putin’s decree would see 300,000 additional personnel called up to serve in Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.
Here is how the world reacted to Putin’s announcement:
Ukraine’s presidential adviser says Putin’s announcement of partial mobilisation was an “absolutely predictable appeal”.
Putin’s speech was a worrying escalation of the war in Ukraine and his threats must be taken seriously, British foreign office minister Gillian Keegan has said.
“Clearly, it’s something that we should take very seriously because, you know, we’re not in control – I am not sure he’s in control either, really. This is obviously an escalation,” Keegan told Sky News.
The US ambassador in Ukraine says the partial mobilisation is a sign of “weakness”.
“Sham referenda and mobilisation are signs of weakness, of Russian failure,” Bridget Brink wrote in a Twitter message.
Germany’s Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck said it was “another bad and wrong step from Russia, which of course we will discuss and consult on politically regarding how to respond”.
The government’s spokesperson also said that the “Russian sham referendums in Ukraine will never be recognised”.
The European Union’s executive said Putin’s partial mobilisation decree proved that the Russian president was “in desperation” and only seeking to escalate the crisis.
“This is just another proof that Putin is not interested in peace, that he’s interested in escalating this war of aggression,” a foreign policy spokesman for the European Commission, Peter Stano, told a news conference.
China’s foreign ministry urged all parties to engage in dialogue and consultation and find a way to address the security concerns of all parties after Putin warned the West over what he described as “nuclear blackmail”.
Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has said Putin’s announcement was “meant to scare the international community”.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Russia’s mobilisation order is a sign of panic at the Kremlin, that should not be taken as a direct threat of full-out war with the West.
The EU member which borders Russia said will not offer refuge to any Russians fleeing Moscow’s mobilisation of troops, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said in a tweet on Wednesday.
Bd-pratidin English/Golam Rosul
