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While the first Russian troops reached the capital Kiev just one day after Putin's attack on Ukraine, the heads of state and government in the West are struggling to find the right measures and the severity of the sanctions.
Ralf Neukirch, SPIEGEL correspondent in Brussels
“On the one hand, I think everyone is aware that if you don't demonstrate unity now, then you're playing right into Putin's hands, and if you show weakness now, you're more likely to encourage him to go further.
On the other hand, to be honest, there is no unity either.
In the EU, the situation is that many Eastern European countries, above all Poland and the Baltics, are of course now of the opinion: We have always told you how the man ticks.
Now you see how it is and they are also right.
And on the other hand, someone like Olaf Scholz comes up and says: Yes, some sanctions like Swift, for example, we still have to have in hand.
And when asked what is actually in the hindquarters, he has no answer.
So when the Russian troops are in front of Leipzig,
I think we don't need to freeze the accounts anymore.
So on the one hand it's an attempt to demonstrate unity and determination and on the other hand it doesn't exist.«
On Thursday evening, people gathered around the world to demonstrate against the military invasion of Russia.
Many Ukrainians feel left alone by the West.
Ralf Neukirch, SPIEGEL correspondent in Brussels
“Yesterday the Austrian Chancellor reported on a phone call with Zelenskyj and basically said: This is a man who is not only fighting for his country, but for his life.
Literally, because you can imagine what the Russians will do with Zelenskyj if they get their hands on him.
And yet Mr. Scholz and Mr. Macron and the Italians, the Austrians are sitting here and considering whether they are really going to use the means available to them when it comes to sanctions, or whether that will not have any negative consequences for energy prices.
Well, if I were Ukrainian, I would feel completely abandoned by the West.«
The support that people in Ukraine want is not coming from the USA either.
The current situation shows the dependency of the West on states like Russia as if through a magnifying glass.
Roland Nelles, SPIEGEL correspondent in Washington, DC
“Joe Biden is trying to walk a tightrope here in the crisis.
On the one hand, he is trying to demonstrate determination and wants to be tough on Putin.
But on the other hand, he also makes sure that the whole thing doesn't degenerate into a major world crisis.
Of course, he wants to prevent a major confrontation between Russians and Americans, possibly even militarily.
That should definitely not happen.
And that's why he also pays a little attention to the sanctions so that he doesn't exaggerate too much.
For him, of course, it's also about preventing an energy crisis, an energy conflict with Russia.
US gasoline prices are already way too high for many Americans anyway, and Biden will soon have a choice.
Interestingly enough, in such times of war and crisis here in the USA there is usually such an effect that everyone – Republicans and Democrats – stands together. But you can't see that here yet. So at the moment the Republicans – many, most of them actually – are attacking Biden very sharply, accusing him of weakness compared to Putin and not considering everything he is doing to be sufficient. And, of course, the Trump supporters in particular are on the battlefield. They blame both of them for the fact that gas prices are already so high and just say overall that Biden is a weak president who has absolutely no idea how to deal with a crisis like this. Trump himself has already announced that that something like this would definitely not happen during his reign or under him. And many other Trump supporters also say that America basically has no real president at all now, unlike Russia. They would have a real president.«
China seems to see it that way too.
Head of state Xi is clearly behind Putin, the People's Republic does not want to see an invasion.
The war in Ukraine hardly plays a role for the Chinese population - and that's not just because of the distance to the Eastern European country.
Georg Fahrion, SPIEGEL correspondent in Beijing
"On all major news sites, what Xi did and said yesterday, where he visited or what great initiative he started is the top priority, and somewhere in the lower places the crisis hits of Ukraine or whatever it is called.
Then there are reports.
For example, I read today that a Ukrainian airport had been attacked.
But it doesn't say who attacked him.
There is no talk of war, but in Putin's diction of a special military operation.
And it's the fault of the US anyway."
In early February, when Xi Jinping received Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, a joint statement read that both sides "reject any further expansion of NATO."
In the West, this demonstrative solidarity alarmed politicians and experts.
After all, this declaration seemed to upgrade the good relations between Russia and China to an informal alliance.
Georg Fahrion, SPIEGEL correspondent in Beijing
»There is no official alliance between Russia and China.
So they are not obliged to provide weapon assistance.
I also think it is extremely unlikely that this will happen.
Almost impossible.
And if China wants to, it will find ways to continue trading with Russia, even if the West increasingly blocks it.
What unites the Chinese and the Russians is their rejection of a world order in which the rights of the strongest are enshrined in norms and regulations that, in the broadest sense, have been determined by the West and the USA.«
According to Moscow, the Chinese head of state has promised Russia support in the UN Security Council.
Both countries have a permanent seat on the body and thus a right of veto.
Bernhard Zand, SPIEGEL correspondent in New York City
»From a global perspective, the outlines of a new world order are emerging with the events of this week and this world order looks suspiciously like a very old world order, namely the world order of the great power, conflicts of deterrence, scenarios of the struggle for spheres of influence, the dispute, for borders and territories.
In other words, the Cold War world order.
Here in New York, the UN met about this Ukraine conflict.
But the representatives of the international community there could not formulate more than appeals.
It wasn't negotiated.
Rarely has one seen the UN so helpless.
In the Cold War, the superpowers ultimately succeeded in putting down guard rails and preventing the ultimate escalation through disarmament treaties and long negotiations.