U.S. warns against 'new normal' as world leaders react on anniversary of Ukraine invasion
Speaking at the United Nations on Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned against accepting Russian "atrocities" committed during its invasion of Ukraine and allowing them to become "our new normal." As he told the assembled diplomats, "it's easy to become numb to the horror, to lose our ability to feel shock and outrage."
Blinken's remarks, delivered on the one-year anniversary of Russia's ongoing Ukrainian invasion, echoed similar sentiments from many other world leaders, who marked the occasion with declarations of both solidarity with Ukraine, and condemnation of Russia's continued aggression.
In a lengthy joint statement from the Group of 7 (G7) political consortium, leaders from the U.S., Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom decried Russia's invasion as "an attack on the fundamental principles of sovereignty of nations, territorial integrity of states and respect for human rights." while promising the group's "solidarity will never waver in standing with Ukraine, in supporting countries and people in need, and in upholding the international order based on the rule of law."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Monuments across the globe also marked Friday's anniversary by lighting up in the colors of Ukraine's flag:
UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace set a strident tone in his statement — shared in Russian by the country's Moscow embassy — predicting "dishonor and defeat" for Russia if it continues its invasion of Ukraine.
Polish President Andrzej Duda marked the occasion by swearing "no return to business as usual with Russia! " while lauding his citizens for opening their homes to Ukrainian refugees fleeing the violence. "There were and there are no refugee camps in Poland," Duda exclaimed. "We welcomed and continue to welcome our guests in our homes."
China, seen by some as a potential backer of Russian military efforts in Ukraine, has spent the lead-up to Friday's anniversary attempting to position itself as a neutral arbitrator poised to negotiate a settlement between the two countries; it has proposed a 12-point plan to end hostilities between Russia and Ukraine that includes calls for a cease-fire, and the repeal of sanctions against Russia established in response to its invasion. In his remarks to the UN, Blinken seemingly dismissed the plan, noting that "many countries will call for peace today," but "history teaches us that it's the nature of peace that matters."
Speaking during an extensive news conference, however, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky seemed more open to Chinese involvement in the region, explaining that "the fact that China started talking about Ukraine is not bad." Earlier in the day, Zelensky heralded the Ukrainian troops for their efforts in repelling Russia's attacks. "It is you who will decide whether we are all going to exist. Whether Ukraine is going to exist," he told them. "Every day. Every hour. It is you, Ukrainian soldiers, which will decide it."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Rafi Schwartz has worked as a politics writer at The Week since 2022, where he covers elections, Congress and the White House. He was previously a contributing writer with Mic focusing largely on politics, a senior writer with Splinter News, a staff writer for Fusion's news lab, and the managing editor of Heeb Magazine, a Jewish life and culture publication. Rafi's work has appeared in Rolling Stone, GOOD and The Forward, among others.
-
What Mike Huckabee means for US-Israel relations
In the Spotlight Some observers are worried that the conservative evangelical minister could be a destabilizing influence on an already volatile region
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Airplane food is reportedly getting much worse
Cockroaches and E. coli are among the recent problems encountered in the skies
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: November 19, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Can Europe pick up the slack in Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Trump's election raises questions about what's next in the war
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Biden allows Ukraine to hit deep in Russia
Speed Read The U.S. gave Ukraine the green light to use ATACMS missiles supplied by Washington, a decision influenced by Russia's escalation of the war with North Korean troops
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
What does the G20 summit say about the new global order?
Today's Big Question Donald Trump's election ushers in era of 'transactional' geopolitics that threatens to undermine international consensus
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
Joe Biden's legacy: economically strong, politically disastrous
In Depth The President boosted industry and employment, but 'Bidenomics' proved ineffective to winning the elections
By The Week UK Published
-
Sri Lanka's new Marxist leader wins huge majority
Speed Read The left-leaning coalition of newly elected Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake won 159 of the legislature's 225 seats
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden arrives in Peru for final summits
Speed Read President Joe Biden will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, visit the Amazon rainforest and attend two major international summits
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'The burden of the tariff would be regressive'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Should Sonia Sotomayor retire from the Supreme Court?
Talking Points Democrats worry about repeating the history of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published