Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Thursday morning that he would give weapons to anyone who wanted to defend the country from the full-scale Russian invasion that was launched during the early morning hours which came at approximately the same time that Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that a “special military operation” was underway.

Putin told Ukrainian soldiers to give up and go home while threatening the U.S. and NATO that if they intervene “Russia will respond immediately, and you will have consequences that you never have had before in your history.”

“We will give weapons to anyone who wants to defend the country. Be ready to support Ukraine in the squares of our cities,” Zelensky said in a statement. “We will lift sanctions on all citizens of Ukraine who are ready to defend our country as part of territorial defense with weapons in hands.”