From Berlin to Erbil to Tokyo to Vilnius, hundreds of thousands of protesters have gathered in cities across the world to demand an end to the war Russia’s Vladimir Putin has waged on Ukraine.
Thousands gathered in front of Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate on Sunday morning for an anti-war rally amid international rage at the invasion of Ukraine even as Russia’s troops pressed towards the capital, Kyiv.
Police said large crowds have filled the area originally planned for the demonstration, around the Brandenburg Gate in central Berlin, and that they were allocating additional space to accommodate the protesters.
Sunday’s protest was peaceful, including many families with children. People waved yellow and blue Ukrainian flags to show their support. Some carried placards with slogans such as ‘Hands off Ukraine’ and ‘Putin, go to therapy and leave Ukraine and the world in peace.’
More gathered in Madrid holding flags and banners that accused Putin of being akin to Hitler and of carrying out a genocide while demonstrators in the South Korean capital Seoul staged a protest outside the Russian embassy.
Ukrainians living in northern Iraq held an anti-war rally on the doorstep of the United Nation’s office in Erbil and women gathered in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius holding placards that branded the Russian president ‘Europe’s biggest aggressor’.
Meanwhile Pope Francis denounced the ‘diabolical and perverse logic’ of launching a war in Ukraine and called for humanitarian corridors to welcome Ukrainian refugees fleeing the ‘tragic’ invasion of their homeland in his strongest public comments yet on Sunday.
Francis has refrained from calling out Russia by name as he seeks to mend ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, and he again omitted any reference to Moscow on Sunday. But he said: ‘Those who make war forget humanity,’ adding that warfare ‘relies on the diabolical and perverse logic of weapons, which is the farthest thing from God’s will.’
Thousands gathered in front of Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate on Sunday morning for an anti-war rally amid international rage at the invasion of Ukraine even as Russia’s troops pressed towards the capital, Kyiv
BERLIN: Demonstrators hold up placards and Ukrainian flags during an anti-war protest in the German capital on Sunday as Russian troops advanced on Kyiv
BERLIN: Anti-war protesters call on the EU to ‘act now’ during a rally in Berlin on Sunday, four days after Vladimir Putin ordered an all out invasion of Ukraine
MADRID: Thousands of anti-war protesters gathered in Madrid on Sunday, holding flags and banners that accused Putin of being akin to Hitler and of carrying out a genocide
MADRID: Demonstrators carried signs calling on the Spanish government to stop Putin’s invasion of Ukraine during an anti-war rally held in the city on Sunday
MADRID: Demonstrators hold signs reading ‘Peace’ and wave Ukrainian flags as they gather during a protest against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
MADRID: An anti-war protester holds a sign demanding President Vladimir Putin is sent to ‘hell’ in a poster that likens the Russian strongman to German dictator Adolf Hitler
ERBIL, IRAQ: Ukrainians living in northern Iraq and their supporters held an anti-war rally on the doorstep of the United Nation’s office in Erbil on Sunday
ERBIL, IRAQ: Ukrainians living in northern Iraq staged a demonstration on Sunday holding national flags and seemingly warning ‘Ukrainians will resist’ after Russia invaded the country on Thursday
ERBIL, IRAQ: Protesters holding Ukrainian flag and posters, gather for an anti-war demonstration in front of the United Nations Office in Erbil on Sunday
SOUTH KOREA: Protesters hold signs likening President Vladimir Putin to German dictator Adolf Hitler, branding a photoshopped mashup of the pair ‘Putler’ on a faked Time magazine Person of the Year cover
SOUTH KOREA: Ukraine citizens hold placards during a protest against Russia’s invasion of their homeland outside of the Russian Embassy in Seoul on Sunday
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis denounced the ‘diabolical and perverse logic’ of launching a war in Ukraine and called for humanitarian corridors to welcome Ukrainian refugees fleeing the ‘tragic’ invasion of their homeland in his strongest public comments yet on Sunday
VATICAN CITY: Members of the Ukrainian community of Rome shed tears as they pray while listening to Pope Francis’ Angelus prayer on Sunday
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis has refrained from calling out Russia by name as he seeks to mend ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, and he again omitted any reference to Moscow on Sunday even as Ukrainian protesters gathered
Hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered in Berlin for an anti-war protest on Sunday after Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Germany will commit 100 billion euros (£84billion) to a special fund for its armed forces, raising its defense spending above two per cent of its GDP.
Scholz told a special session of the Bundestag in Berlin on Sunday that it was clear ‘we need to invest significantly more in the security of our country, in order to protect our freedom and our democracy.’
Germany had come under criticism for not investing adequately in its defense budget and not doing enough to respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
On Saturday evening, the German government announced it would be sending weapons and other supplies directly to Ukraine to help troops against invading Russia forces.
Meanwhile protesters gathered in Vilnius after the Lithuanian government announced it would close their airspace to Russian planes, joining a growing list of European countries imposing sanctions as the West ramps up pressure on Putin for ordering an invasion of Ukraine.
Several other European countries, including Germany, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Romania, Austria, Italy and Luxembourg have announced similar closures.
Russia announced it is closing its airspace to planes from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Slovenia, a move that comes as Moscow’s ties with the West plunge to new lows over its invasion of Ukraine.
Russia’s state aviation agency, Rosaviatsiya, announced early Sunday that the measure was taken in retaliation for the four nations closing their airspace for Russian planes.
On Saturday, the agency also reported closing the Russian airspace for planes from Romania, Bulgaria, Poland and the Czech Republic in response to them doing the same.
BERLIN: A man with a sign saying ‘No More Gas From Putin’ passes the Reichstag building after Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Germany will commit 100 billion euros (£84billion) to a special fund for its armed forces, raising its defense spending above two per cent of its GDP
BERLIN: Hundreds of thousands of anti-war protesters gather in Berlin after Chancellor Scholz told a special session of the Bundestag in Berlin on Sunday that it was clear ‘we need to invest significantly more in the security of our country, in order to protect our freedom and our democracy’
BERLIN: People attend protest calling to ‘stop war’ in Ukraine near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, on Sunday, four days after Russia launched an invasion of its neighbour
BERLIN: Demonstrators hold up placards and Ukrainian flags during an anti-war protest near the Brandenburg gate on Sunday
BERLIN: Supporters of Ukraine demonstrate and form the word ‘peace’ during an anti-war protest attended by hundreds of thousands of people in Berlin on Sunday
BERLIN: Anti-war protesters at a rally in Berlin, Germany, on Sunday after the government joined the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Romania, Austria, Italy and Luxembourg in announcing it is closing its airspace to Russia
BERLIN: A demonstrator holds a placard in front of the Reichstag building during an anti-war protest in Berlin on Sunday, four days after Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine
BERLIN: Anti-war protesters gather in Berlin on Sunday, days after Germany came under criticism for not investing adequately in its defense budget and not doing enough to respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
VILNIUS: Protesters gathered in Vilnius after the Lithuanian government announced it would close their airspace to Russian planes
VILNIUS: Women gathered in the Lithuanian capital after the government said it would join a growing list of European countries closing their airspace to Russia as the West ramps up pressure on Putin for ordering an invasion of Ukraine
VILNIUS: Women protest in Lithuania after Russia announced it is closing its airspace to planes from the country along with Latvia, Estonia and Slovenia, a move that comes as Moscow’s ties with the West plunge to new lows over its invasion of Ukraine
VILNIUS: Lithuanian women gathered in front of the Russian embassy in the capital, Vilnius, calling on Russia to ‘stop killing your own children’ and demanding ‘peace now’ after Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine on Thursday
VILNIUS: Women in Lithuania gathered outside the Russian embassy on Sunday calling on Russian mothers to ‘call your sons to come back home’ during an anti-war demonstration
VILNIUS: A female protester holds a sign asking Russian mothers why they are ‘still silent’ and warning them that ‘the blood of Ukrainian children is on you too’ during an anti-war protest
VILNIUS: Women gathered in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on Sunday holding placards of bleeding Ukrainian hearts and signs that branded the Russian president ‘Europe’s biggest aggressor’
VILNIUS: Lithuanian women gathered in front of the Russian embassy in the capital, Vilnius, calling on Russia to ‘stop killing your own children’ and demanding ‘peace now’ after Putin launched an invasion of Ukraine on Thursday
Protesters gathered in Erbil, northern Iraq, on Sunday on the doorstep of the United Nation’s office in anger over Putin’s invasion of Russia, which has so far killed at least 64 civilians and injured nearly 200 more – though it believed the ‘real figures are considerably higher’ because many reports of casualties remain to be confirmed.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs relayed the count late Saturday from the UN human rights office, which has strict methodologies and verification procedures about the toll from conflict.
OCHA also said damage to civilian infrastructure has deprived hundreds of thousands of people of access to electricity or water, and produced a map of ‘humanitarian situations’ in Ukraine – mostly in northern, eastern and southern Ukraine.
Meanwhile the International Committee of the Red Cross said it is aware of requests by Ukraine’s UN ambassador and others to repatriate the bodies of Russian soldiers killed in action in Ukraine but has no numbers.
Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya tweeted Saturday that Ukraine has appealed to the ICRC ‘to facilitate repatriation of thousands of bodies of Russian soldiers’ killed during its invasion of Ukraine. An accompanying chart claimed 3,500 Russian troops have been killed.
Kyslytsya tweeted that parents in Russia should have a chance ‘to bury them with dignity.’ ‘Don’t let (Russian President Vladimir) Putin hide scale of tragedy,’ he urged.
Meanwhile the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said the latest count of Ukrainians arriving in neighboring countries stands at 368,000 and is continuing to rise.
The update from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees on Sunday more than doubles its estimate a day ago, when it said at least 150,000 have fled Ukraine into Poland and other countries including Hungary and Romania.
Spokesman Chris Meizer said on Twitter that the line of cars at the Poland-Ukraine crossing stood at 8.7mile long 14km), and those fleeing – mostly women and children – had to endure long waits in freezing temperatures overnight.
Poland’s government said Saturday that more than 100,000 Ukrainians had crossed the Polish-Ukrainian border in the past 48 hours alone.
ERBIL, IRAQ: Protesters gathered in Erbil, northern Iraq, on Sunday on the doorstep of the United Nation’s office in anger over Putin’s invasion of Russia, which has so far killed at least 64 civilians and injured nearly 200 more – though it believed the ‘real figures are considerably higher’ because many reports of casualties remain to be confirmed
ERBIL, IRAQ: Protesters gather outside a UN office in Erbil, northern Iraq, to protest against the war after Ukraine’s ambassador to the UN Sergiy Kyslytsya appealed to the ICRC ‘to facilitate repatriation of thousands of bodies of Russian soldiers’ killed during its invasion of Ukraine
ERBIL, IRAQ: Ukrainians and their supporters gather outside UN headquarters in Erbil holding signs calling for the organisation to ‘Save Ukraine’ and ‘Stop Putler’, using a mixture of the Russian president’s name and the name of German dictator Adolf Hitler
ERBIL, IRAQ: Anti-war demonstrators gather in Erbil, northern Iraq, on Sunday outside the UN office there after the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said the latest count of Ukrainians arriving in neighboring countries stands at 368,000 and is continuing to rise
ERBIL, IRAQ: Ukrainians, living in Erbil, holding Ukrainian flag and posters, gather for a protest in front of the United Nations Office in Erbil on Sunday, four days after Russia invaded their homeland
ERBIL, IRAQ: Protesters gather outside a UN office in Erbil, Iraq, holding Ukrainian flags and signs that accuse Putin of having blood on his hands on Sunday
ERBIL, IRAQ: Protesters gathered in Erbil, northern Iraq, on Sunday on the doorstep of the United Nation’s office in anger over Putin’s invasion of Russia, which has so far killed at least 64 civilians and injured nearly 200 more – though it believed the ‘real figures are considerably higher’ because many reports of casualties remain to be confirmed
ISTANBUL: Anti-war demonstrators protest against the Russian waged war on Ukraine in Istanbul on Sunday, four days after Moscow’s troops entered its neighbour
SOUTH KOREA: Ukrainian nationals in South Korea and their supporters rally near the Russian Embassy in Seoul on Sunday
SOUTH KOREA: Anti-war protesters, many of them with Ukrainian and South Korean flags painted on their masks, waved flags and held signs during a demonstration on Sunday
SOUTH KOREA: Ukrainian nationals in South Korea and their supporters rally near the Russian Embassy in Seoul for an anti-war demonstration on Sunday
Hundreds of Japanese lined the streets in Tokyo’s Shibuya district on Sunday in an anti-war demonstration following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on Thursday.
It comes after the Japanese government said it will join the United States and other Western countries in blocking certain Russian banks’ access to the SWIFT international payment system over the invasion, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Sunday.
Tokyo will put sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and extend $100 million in emergency humanitarian aid to Kyiv, Kishida told reporters.
‘This Russian invasion of Ukraine is a unilateral attempt to change the status quo and shakes the international order to its core,’ Kishida said. ‘We must remain united and take action resolutely.’
Kishida’s decision came after the US and its allies took a similar step on Saturday, a move seen to deal a blow to Russian trade and make it harder for Russian companies to do business. US ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel, was quick to welcome Japan’s sanction measure.
‘The United States looks forward to coordinating closely with Japan in the coming days to implement these measures and to take further steps together with the G7 and likeminded partners to impose costs on President Putin for his reckless decision to wage war in Ukraine,’ he said in a written statement.
Meanwhile anti-war demonstrators gathered in the South Korean capital Seoul for the second day
TOKYO: Hundreds of Japanese lined the streets in Tokyo’s Shibuya district on Sunday in an anti-war demonstration following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on Thursday
TOKYO: Protesters gathered after the Japanese government said it will join the United States and other Western countries in blocking certain Russian banks’ access to the SWIFT international payment system over the invasion, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Sunday
TOKYO: Anti-war protesters holding signs that called for ‘No war’ and ‘Peace for Ukraine’ gathered in Tokyo’s Shibuya area on Sunday, four days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine
TOKYO: An anti-war demonstrator in the Shibuya area of the Japanese capital holds a placard with a cartoon of Putin as German dictator Hitler with the slogan ‘stop invasion’
Thousands hit the streets of Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, to rally alongside Ukrainians against Putin’s destructive campaign, including many of Russian descent.
Ukrainian-born Alina Gozin’a, who identifies as Russian, said she was praying for all the Ukrainians living in Russia and for the millions of Russians living in Ukraine.
The Sydney artist said when she was born in the USSR, both nations were considered all one people and she could not believe a ‘horrific, catastrophic’ war had broken out between them.
Meanwhile, one woman broke down as she spoke outside the Russian Club on Saturday about how people were ‘against’ Russia because ‘nobody’ understands the complexities of the situation.
‘I think most [Russian] people are supporting what Putin is doing because we’ve been waiting eight years to sort out the problems… I hope he knows what he’s doing,’ she said.
Many Russians from various parts of the community were reluctant to speak about the situation, with some believing there was a crusade against their motherland.
The majority said they needed to discuss the matter with friends and family before ‘taking a side’ or commenting.
While Russians and Ukrainians joined forces at protests across Australia, heated confrontations erupted between members from the two nations outside the Kremlin’s Sydney consulate on Saturday.
Russian loyalists who now live in Australia gathered outside the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Woollahra to show their support for Putin’s regime.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Russian nations living in Australia have been left divided as their motherland invades Ukraine under President Vladimir Putin’s orders. Pictured: A Russian protester at a Stand With Ukraine Rally in Sydney’s CBD on Saturday
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Hundreds of protesters have taken to streets in major Australian cities over the weekend to protest against the Kremlin-led invasion
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Pro-Ukraine protesters call on Russians to take a stand against their government during a rally in Sydney on Saturday
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Ukrainian-Australians with family members caught up in the conflict called on Russia to leave the nation
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Protesters in Martin Place against the Russian invasion hold signs as they brave the wet weather to show their support for Ukraine
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: One man urged for people to help support Ukraine by praying or donating to critical aid
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: One woman bearing both Australian and Ukrainian flags held a sign saying Ukraine’s fight is the world’s battle for freedom
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Sydneysiders carried the Ukrainian flag through the city’s CBD calling for tougher sanctions on Russia (pictured)
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Protesters braved wet conditions on Saturday to protest Russian attacks on Ukraine for another day of rallying
