Miley Cyrus says she’s “standing in solidarity with everyone in Ukraine” following Russian invasion
Miley Cyrus has shared her support for the situation in Ukraine, saying she is “standing in solidarity with everyone” there following the Russian invasion yesterday (February 25).
The country has officially severed diplomatic ties with Russia and declared martial law after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on the neighbouring nation, according to BBC News.
In a statement on Twitter, Cyrus, who filmed her 2019 music video ‘Nothing Breaks Like A Heart’ in Kyiv, shared her support with Ukraine saying the news was “heartbreaking.”
Cyrus wrote: “I had the most incredible experience filming ‘Nothing Breaks Like A Heart’ in Kyiv and will be forever grateful to the local community who welcomed me with open arms.
“There are local reports that at least 40 Ukrainians have been killed already, and this conflict can lead to many more deaths, another refugee crisis with so many forced to flee their homes and more.
“I am standing in solidarity with everyone in Ukraine who is affected by this attack and with our global community who is calling for an immediate end to this violence.”
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— Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) February 24, 2022
Since Cyrus’ post last night (February 24), Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky has said that 137 people had been killed, with 316 more wounded.
Troops from Russia crossed the Crimea border into Ukraine on Thursday, after President Vladimir Putin gave the order for his invasion to begin.
The actions of Putin, who has claimed that Russia does not intend to occupy Ukraine and that his country’s actions amount to a “special military operation”, have drawn widespread condemnation from across the globe.
US President Joe Biden has pledged “severe” sanctions on Russia, saying in a statement that Ukraine is “suffering an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces” and that “Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering”.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the outbreak of conflict in the country was a “catastrophe for our continent”.
In the Commons he added: “Putin will stand condemned in the eyes of the world and of history. He will never be able to cleanse the blood of Ukraine from his hands.
“Although the UK and our allies tried every avenue for diplomacy until the final hour, I am driven to conclude that Putin was always determined to attack his neighbour, no matter what we did.
“Now we see him for what he is – a bloodstained aggressor who believes in imperial conquest.”
Reactions to the situation in Ukraine from prominent figures in the worlds of music, entertainment and politics have been posted on social media, with the likes of Foals’ Yannis Philippakis, Bring Me The Horizon‘s Oli Sykes, Franz Ferdinand‘s Alex Kapranos, Yungblud, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Taika Waititi and Amanda Palmer all speaking out in support of Ukraine.
The country, which has a population of 44million people, borders both Russia and the European Union. As the BBC reports, Russia has long resisted Ukraine’s move towards embracing European institutions like NATO and the EU.
Putin is now demanding guarantees from the West and Ukraine that it will not join NATO, a defensive alliance of 30 countries, and that Ukraine demilitarise and become a neutral state.
You can donate here to the Red Cross to help those affected by the conflict.