New Delhi, Feb 24 (IANS) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday declared war on Ukraine and gave a chilling warning to its allies in the West, Daily Mail reported.Explosions were heard in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, as Putin announced that Russia was launching a military attack on Ukraine."To anyone who would consider interfering from the outside - if you do, you will face consequences greater than any you have faced in history," he said on a television broadcast.The UN Security Council had just convened an emergency meeting Wednesday night when Putin took to Russian airwaves to announce the invasion.Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had urged Putin to stop his tanks. "If indeed an operation is being prepared, I have only one thing to say from the bottom of my heart," said Guterres. "President Putin, stop your troops from attacking Ukraine. Give peace a chance. Too many people have already died." Putin ignored the plea, going on TV to describe the invasion as a "special military occupation' and said he wants to "demilitarize" and "de-Nazify", not occupy, the country, the report said.He told Ukrainian service members to "lay down their arms and go home", saying Russia could not exist with a "constant threat emanating from the territory of Ukraine" and clashes between Russian and Ukrainian solders was "inevitable".'
--IANS san/ksk/
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