US will respond in decisive way: Joe Biden

Washington: The world will hold Russia accountable for the death and destruction due to the "unprovoked" and "unjustified" attack on Ukraine and the US and its allies will respond in a "united and decisive" way, President Joe Biden has warned, as his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a "special military operation" in eastern Ukraine.

"Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable," he said.

In a late Wednesday night statement, Biden said the prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine as they suffer an "unprovoked" and "unjustified" attack by Russian military forces. The president said he will be monitoring the situation in Ukraine from the White House and will continue to get regular updates from his national security team.