The German Foreign Ministry convened a crisis headquarters due to the events in Ukraine.
In a statement on Thursday, Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock promised a joint reaction from Berlin and partners, Report informs, citing TASS.
"By attacking Ukraine, Russia is violating the elementary rules of international order," she said. "We will respond together with our partners. We stand in solidarity with Ukraine."
In a televised address on Thursday morning Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the decision to conduct a special military operation in response to the appeal of the leaders of 'Luhansk and Donetsk people's republics.'