Empire State Building, other world landmarks light up in solidarity with Ukraine
Putin wants to 'redraw map of Europe in blood,' Boris Johnson says
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson had some very harsh words for Russian President Vladimir Putin after he ordered an invasion of Ukraine overnight. Johnson said Putin will never be able to wash the Ukrainian blood from his hands and his ultimate goal is to "redraw the map of Europe in blood."
LOS ANGELES - Cities in the United States and across the globe are displaying blue and yellow lights, the colors of the Ukrainian flag, in a show of solidarity with the European nation as it grapples with a full-on invasion from neighboring Russia.
The Empire State Building was illuminated with blue and yellow lights in a display of support for Ukraine currently under siege by Russian forces.
"Tonight, the Empire State Building will shine its tower lights in the colors of the Ukrainian flag," wrote the official Twitter account for the Empire State Building.
In Dallas, the Ukrainian flag’s colors could be seen shining throughout the Texas city’s skyline.
In Cincinnati, Ohio, a sister city to Kharkiv, Ukraine, the Duke Energy Convention Center was also lit up as a hat tip to Ukraine.
Roughly 200 miles to the north, in Sandusky, Ohio, a tribute to Ukraine could also be found.
Tributes to Ukraine could also be seen in Paris, London, Melbourne, Berlin and Rome, Reuters reported.
Berlin, which stood as the front line during the Cold War until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, sent a clear signal to the Kremlin when it lit up the iconic Brandenburg Gate, the city’s most famous landmark, in blue and yellow.
"We are showing our solidarity with the people of Ukraine, the many Berliners with Ukrainian roots but also with the many Russians who want peace in Russia and Ukraine," Berlin Mayor Franziska Giffey said in a statement.
"They all want nothing more than an end to the escalation and a peaceful settlement to this threatening conflict," she added.
A day after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered military action in the breakaway regions of Ukraine, Russian forces appear to be closing in on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.
Explosions could be heard in Kyiv early Friday local time. Many Ukrainians had rushed to leave the capital Thursday.
"Russian mechanized forces, which came in from Belarus, are 20 miles outside of Kyiv," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told lawmakers Thursday night, according to reporting from Axios. Austin added that the military is looking into ways to provide Ukrainian forces with more equipment, including ammunition.
Russia’s all-out attack on Ukraine has killed at least 137 people and wounded 316 during the first day of President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday.
The Associated Press and Fox News contributed to this story.