Candlelight vigil for peace held after Russia attacks Ukraine
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Mid-Missouri Peaceworks and Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation held a candlelight vigil for peace outside City Hall Thursday evening in response to the Russian attack on Ukraine.
“The use of military force to seek to rearrange political boundaries, or to overturn the political chessboard, is illegal, under international law, immoral, likely to lead to serious losses of life and limb, and could lead to a larger war that will threaten peace far from Ukraine,” said Mark Haim, Director of Peaceworks and an organizer of the event.
Haim said that launching a war will cause massive suffering and will not resolve security concerns.
President Joe Biden spoke publicly Thursday, for the first time since the Russian attack that took place early Thursday.
Biden announced new sanctions of Russia meant to punish the country for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, calling out Russian President Vladimir Putin for his aggression.
"Putin is the aggressor. Putin chose this war. And now he and his country will bear the consequences," Biden said, laying out a set of sanctions including export controls that will "impose severe cost on the Russian economy, both immediately and over time."
Biden's new sanctions include four Russian banks, and "corrupt billionaires" and their families who are close to the Kremlin.
Biden announced a new deployment of ground and air forces to NATO's eastern Flank, reiterating US troops would not engage in direct conflict in Ukraine, but would defend NATO allies.
Biden said Russia's assault is a "premeditated war", and vowed to hold the country accountable.
Biden said he would do all in his power to limit the fallout the new sanctions would have on energy and gas prices.
After months of predictions and warnings, Russian forces began their attack on Ukraine Thursday morning local time, with reports of troops crossing the border to the north and south, explosions in multiple cities including the capital Kyiv, and warnings from Putin of future bloodshed unless Ukrainian forces lay down their arms.
Biden's sanctions are now meant to punish Putin's actions rather than prevent them.
