After recognizing two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the deployment of troops, escalating a crisis that the West fears will escalate into a major war. After Putin formally recognized the breakaway regions and ordered the deployment of Russian forces to “keep the peace,” a Reuters witness saw tanks and other military hardware moving through the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk.
According to a Reuters reporter, about five tanks were seen in a column on the outskirts of Donetsk, with two more in another part of town. The vehicles had no visible insignia. Putin’s announcement was met with international condemnation and swift US sanctions aimed at halting American business activity in the breakaway regions and prohibiting the import of all goods from those areas. The measures were distinct from the sanctions that the US and its allies had planned in case Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
Putin’s announcement triggers panic in West
Because Russia already had forces in the breakaway enclaves, a senior US official said the deployment did not yet constitute a “further invasion” that would trigger the harshest sanctions, but that a wider campaign could come at any time. Britain, France, and Germany have also agreed to impose sanctions in response to Russia’s recognition of the breakaway regions, and the White House has said that more measures will be announced on Tuesday.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine, who received a call of support from US Vice President Joe Biden, accused Russia of sabotaging peace talks and ruled out territorial concessions. The United States ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told a Security Council emergency meeting that Moscow’s recognition of the eastern regions was part of an attempt to create a pretext for a new invasion of Ukraine.
“The United States will impose sanctions on Russia tomorrow for this clear violation of international law and Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” she told reporters after Monday’s Security Council meeting.
Vassily Nebenzia, Russia’s UN ambassador, warned Western powers to “think twice” before aggravating the situation. In the event of a full-scale invasion, China has urged all parties to exercise restraint, while Japan has stated that it is willing to join international sanctions against Moscow.
Putin, flanked by Russia-backed separatist leaders, signed a decree recognizing the independence of the two Ukrainian breakaway regions, the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic, according to Russian state television.