Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the deployment of troops into parts of Ukraine that Russian-backed separatists have controlled since 2014.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday evening ordered the deployment of troops into the two separatist-controlled regions of eastern Ukraine, which the Russian president recognized earlier in the day as independent.
President Putin signed decrees recognizing the rebel regions of Ukraine: the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic. In response, President Joe Biden plans to impose trade and finance restrictions.
Tanks and unusually large columns of military hardware were seen moving through the breakaway city of Donetsk after President Putin told the Russian defense ministry to send forces into the two regions for peace-keeping purposes, according to Reuters. The wire service cited reports by a Reuters witness.
President Joe Biden plans to impose trade and financial restrictions in response to Vladimir Putin’s decision to recognize breakaway regions of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, President Putin indicated he informed French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz of his decision to recognize the regions in phone calls. Mr. Putin said both leaders expressed their disappointment. They also indicated their “readiness to continue contacts” as they serve as mediators in the conflict between pro-Russia rebels and Kyiv, according to the Moscow Times.
The White House issued a statement saying that President Biden would “prohibit new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine,” reported CNN.
The White House also said Monday that the U.S. would “soon announce additional measures related to today’s blatant violation of Russia’s international commitments.”
President Putin’s actions are seen by the U.S. and the West as provocative and a possible pretext for invading Ukraine. It would also mean that Ukraine would have to accept either the loss of a large portion of its territory or face an armed conflict with its neighbor, Russia, who is significantly more powerful.
According to the Kremlin, rebels appealed “in connection with military aggression carried out by the Ukrainian authorities and the mass shelling of the territory of Donbas, which leads to suffering in the civilian population,” reported the Moscow Times.
“The use of Ukraine as an instrument of confrontation with our country poses a serious, very big threat to us,” said President Putin, according to the Moscow Times.
“Ukraine is not just a neighboring country. They are a part of our culture. You want decommunization? We will show you what it’s like,” said Mr. Putin, according to a report by NBC News.
The European Union threatened sanctions on Russia from the 27-nation bloc.
“If there is annexation, there will be sanctions, and if there is recognition, I will put the sanctions on the table, and the ministers will decide,” said the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. Reuters reported that Mr. Borrell made this statement following a meeting of the foreign ministers.
The Russian Parliament and top officials have been requesting that President Putin recognize the rebel regions over the past week. These regions have proclaimed themselves the Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic and have been under Russian-backed separatist control since 2014.
Separatist leaders have called for evacuating civilians to Russia, warning of an imminent Ukrainian offensive, but Ukraine has repeatedly denied any plans of an attack and says they desire a diplomatic solution.
As of Monday, more than 60,000 evacuees have arrived in Russia.
French President Macron attempted to broker a bid between American and Russian presidents in an attempt to avert Europe’s most serious crisis since the Cold War. President Biden has accepted a meeting with President Putin on the condition that Russia does not invade Ukraine first.
Mr. Putin has said that there are no plans for a summit at this time, but added it is not completely off the table.
