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Western nations will warn on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin will pay “catastrophic” costs for his attacks on Ukraine during today’s NATO, Group of Seven and EU summits attended by US President Joe Biden.
The frantic day of summits aimed at keeping the West united will begin at NATO headquarters in Brussels, as coalition leaders agree to build military forces in eastern Europe.
Fearing the possibility of Russia escalating war with its neighbors after a fierce confrontation that began a month ago, the 30 member states of the alliance have agreed to send equipment to Kiev to defend itself against any biological, chemical and nuclear attacks.
The urgent need to punish Moscow by imposing massive sanctions on it will be emphasized during an emergency meeting of a group of seven major industrialized nations.
Then, after the 27-nation EU summit, more than half of the world’s GDP will be united in a single day.
“We must emphasize that the decision to invade an independent, sovereign nation is a strategic defeat with catastrophic costs for Putin and Russia,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the European Parliament.
According to United Nations data, the Russian offensive has killed thousands and displaced nearly a quarter of Ukraine’s 44 million people, more than 3.6 million of whom have fled the country.
Putin says his forces are conducting a “special military operation” to disarm Ukraine, and that Ukraine and the West are waging an unjustified war of aggression.
“President Putin made a big mistake,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters at the meeting.
“In this very serious security crisis of a generation, we will be safe as long as we are united,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zhelensky will address a NATO-EU summit via video link.
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