Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, ordered this Sunday, February 27, 2022, to put the nuclear deterrence forces on high alert, after the “aggressive declarations” of the main NATO countries.

In a meeting with his officials, Putin also claimed that major NATO powers plan with the West to impose tough financial sanctions against Russia.

“The highest officials of the main NATO countries allow themselves aggressive statements against our country, that is why I order the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff to put the containment forces of the Russian Army in a special service regime. I am referring to the illegitimate sanctions that are well known to all,” the president said at a conference.

Putin indicated the dangerous instructions in a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Valeri Gerasimov. Shoigu answered: “affirmative”.

NATO fires back at Putin for putting Russia’s nuclear force on ‘high alert’

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called Russia “irresponsible” on Sunday after President Vladimir Putin put the Russian army’s nuclear “deterrent force” on alert.

“This is dangerous rhetoric. It is irresponsible behaviour,” Stoltenberg told CNN.

“And of course, if you combine this rhetoric with what they are doing on the ground in Ukraine, waging war against an independent sovereign nation, carrying out a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine, this adds gravity to the situation,” he added.

Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO. Photo: AFP

Ukraine sues Russia at International Court of Justice

While Russia continues its military offensive against Ukraine, the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenskyy, reported this Sunday that he went to the International Court of Justice in The Hague for his jurisdiction to order a stop to the attacks in his country.

“Ukraine officially filed a lawsuit against Russia at the UN International Court of Justice in The Hague. We demand that Russia be held accountable for distorting the concept of genocide to justify aggression. We ask the court to immediately order Russia to cease hostilities and schedule a hearing for next week.”

UN approves extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly for the Russian invasion of Ukraine

The UN Security Council adopted on Sunday, at the request of Western countries, a resolution to convene the General Assembly on Monday “in extraordinary emergency session” so that its 193 members rule on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The resolution, promoted by the United States and Albania, was adopted by 11 countries, with Russia voting against and China, India and the United Arab Emirates abstaining. The UN regulations do not contemplate the right to veto to resort to this instance.

Based on a procedure established in 1950, entitled “The Union for Peace”, this resource, which represents a setback for Russia in the international diplomatic theatre, cannot be vetoed by any of the five member countries of the Security Council ( Russia, United States, Great Britain, China and France).