Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, the rebel-held regions and declared them as independent regions. The troops will be ‘peacekeeping’ in the region, Russia said.
The US said that calling them peacekeeping nonsense and that Russia is creating a pretext for war. Russia has supported the rebel regions since 2014. Ukraine’s President Vladimir Zelensky, in the meantime, said his country was "not afraid of anything or anyone,” a BBC report reads.
"It is very important to see now who our real friend and partner is, and who will continue to scare the Russian Federation with words only," Ukraine President Vladimir Zelensky said.
Russia’s move comes at the heels of US President Joe Biden signing an executive order imposing sanctions on the regions—Donetsk and Luhansk. In recent years, Russia has been giving out passports to a large number of people in the region. Over 14,000 including civilians have lost lives in the armed rebellion in easter Ukraine. Since last week, the regions have been evacuating women, children and its elderly to Russia. On Monday, Putin had described Ukraine as ancient Russian lands.
UK PM Johnson announces sanctions
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK will hit Russia with a first barrage of economic sanctions, warning that President Vladimir Putin is fixed on a "full-scale invasion of Ukraine".
He was speaking soon after chairing an emergency meeting of the Cabinet Office Briefing Room A on Tuesday in the wake of Putin's decision to recognise two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine. The UK PM accused Putin of "plainly" violating Ukrainian sovereignty and "the over-running, the subjugation of an independent, sovereign European country.
"He's sent troops in, he's broken international law, he's repudiated the Minsk agreements, and torn up the understanding from Budapest in 1994 that Ukraine's territorial integrity would be respected," said Johnson.
The United Kingdom will be announcing new sanctions on Russia in response to its breach of international law and attack on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. There will be severe economic consequences to its actions, UK Ambassador Barbara Woodward told an emergency Security Council meeting on Ukraine.
This Council must be united in: calling on Russia to de-escalate immediately; condemning aggression against a sovereign nation, and defending the territorial integrity of Ukraine; calling on Russia to respect its obligations under the Charter to the peaceful resolution of disputes. On Monday evening, Johnson spoke to UkrainianPresident Volodymyr Zelensky to outline his grave concern and warn that he believed an invasion was a real possibility in the coming hours and days.
During the phone call, Johnson promised to "explore sending further defensive support to Ukraine" at the request of the country's government, as well as detailing sanctions.
The leaders agreed that the West needed to support Ukraine in the event of an invasion but should continue to pursue a diplomatic solution until the last possible second, Downing Street said.
--With PTI inputs
