Myanmar’s military government on Thursday backed a Russian military strike on Ukraine.
It is the first country in the world to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and has established itself with the majority of countries in the world, especially the West, which has imposed strict sanctions on Moscow.
A spokesman for Myanmar’s military council, General Zhao Minton, told VOA he supported the attack for two reasons: “The first is that Russia has tried to consolidate its sovereignty. The second is to show the world that Russia is a world power.”
Myanmar’s military chief, Aung San Suu Kyi, visited Russia in June last year and has strong ties with the country’s military.
Russia is one of the few countries to have defended Myanmar’s military council, which seized power in a coup in February 2021.
The Myanmar army overthrew the civilian government and arrested its leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other high-ranking officials.
Since then, the United Nations and Myanmar experts have repeatedly called for a ban on arms sales to the country’s military council, but Russia has ignored them.
Myanmar’s military junta has backed Russia’s attack on Ukraine, with Western nations, including the United States, imposing tough economic sanctions on Moscow.
“Putin is an aggressor. The consequences of this invasion will be seen by him (Putin) and his country,” US President Joe Biden said in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine on Thursday, February 24.
Mr Biden said he had imposed new sanctions on Moscow, which he said would have a negative impact on the Russian economy in the short and long term.
