There are increasing concerns about Russian President Vladimir Putin's stability and the condemnation from world leaders is becoming stronger by the day.
On Tuesday, New Zealand upped its language, calling Putin's invasion the blatant act of a bully, while the leader of the Opposition took it further labelling the Russian leader "completely unhinged".
The National Party is calling for stronger action to match our stronger rhetoric.
Russians fired a practice intercontinental ballistic missile this week as their Commander-in-Chief watched on - a Commander-in-Chief whose stability is being questioned after he put Russia's nuclear arsenal on standby.
Leader of the Opposition Christopher Luxon on Tuesday provided a perhaps blunter than intended assessment.
"This is a man that's completely unhinged."
His comments were backed up by the Greens co-leader James Shaw.
"He is, you know, clearly unhinged."
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern didn't use those exact words.
"I believe his acts are completely wrong. I believe that they are the acts of a bully and that the war needs to stop."
In Christchurch on Tuesday Russians and Ukrainians stood together. Fearful of what Putin may do, they called for him to be stopped.
"Kill him because he is a crazy man."
Some Russians are disowning their own President.
"I believe he should kill himself to make the world a better place," one man said, followed by another who joked: "Just not with nukes."
That sentiment was shared on the world's biggest stage - the United Nations General Assembly. The Ukrainian representative called for Putin's end, referencing Adolf Hitler's suicide.
"If [Putin] wants to kill himself, he doesn't need to use [his] nuclear arsenal. He has to do what the guy in Berlin did in a bunker in May 1945."
Our own Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta issued a strong condemnation at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
"We are witnessing the blatant act of a bully, brutally using its unbridled power to achieve goals at odds with international law."
Russian vodka was pulled from shelves and replaced with Ukrainian flags in west Auckland.
"Categorically we've said we will not take any more Russian-made products into our stores," a liquor shop owner told Newshub.
National is calling for stronger Government action: both in sanctioning Russia and supporting Ukrainians. It wants a special humanitarian visa for family members of Kiwis.
"We think about the 1500 Ukrainian Kiwis that are here in this country and we think about the worry and anxiety that they have and we think about their family members in desperate situations," Luxon said.
Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi says they're already working on fast-tracking visas.
"We're able to prioritise some of that but again it's developing; it's early stages."
Given the strain on the immigration system, Faafoi was asked if he could promise those Ukrainian families that their applications would be prioritised.
"Look, we'll do our best," he said.
It perhaps was not quite the promise desperate families will be hoping for.
As at February 25, Immigration NZ had 167 applications on hand across all visa categories where the principal applicant's nationality is Ukrainian - 93 offshore and 74 onshore.
