Ukraine-Russia crisis news from February 21: Russian president says troops to ‘maintain peace’ in Donetsk and Luhansk, areas he earlier recognised as independent
Russia: Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian troops to “maintain peace” in two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, hours after the Russian president recognised Donetsk and Luhansk as independent entities.
In two official decrees, Putin on Monday instructed the country’s defence ministry to assume “the function of maintaining peace” in the eastern regions.
The West has repeatedly warned Russia not to recognise the separatist regions in Donetsk and Luhansk – a move that effectively buries a fragile peace process in the region.
Putin’s announcement paved the way for Russia to openly send troops and weapons to the long-running conflict pitting Ukrainian forces against Moscow-backed rebels.
The United States said it supports Ukraine’s call for an urgent UN Security Council meeting, calling Russia’s recognition of two Ukrainian breakaway regions an “unprovoked violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
“The Security Council must demand that Russia respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, a UN Member State,” US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said in a statement.
Russia has acquired the right to build military bases in Ukraine’s two breakaway regions under new agreements with their separatist leaders, according to a copy of an agreement signed by Putin published on Monday.
Russia and the breakaway regions also plan to sign separate agreements on military cooperation and protection of borders, according to draft laws that Russia’s State Duma lower house of parliament will consider on Tuesday.
John Herbst called Russia’s recognition of the independence of two Ukrainian breakaway region a “major escalation”, urging the Biden administration to start imposing serious sanctions on Moscow.
“We’re gonna have to put down at least one serious sanction in response,” Herbst, who now serves as senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, told Al Jazeera. “If we’re not, we’re repeating the exact same mistake we made in Crimea eight years ago.”
He said imposing sanctions on at least one large Russian bank or the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, for example, would be appropriate now.
In a phone call on Monday, the leaders of the US, France and Germany discussed how they “will continue to coordinate their response on next steps” against Russia.
“The leaders strongly condemned President Putin’s decision to recognize the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine as ‘independent’,” the White House said in a statement.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres believes Russia has violated the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine by recognising Donetsk and Luhansk as independent entities, a spokesperson said.
“The United Nations, in line with the relevant General Assembly resolutions, remains fully supportive of the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
During a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Joe Biden “strongly condemned” Russia’s decision to recognise the two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent, the White House said.
During a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Joe Biden “strongly condemned” Russia’s decision to recognise the two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent, the White House said.
“By recognising the separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, Russia is violating its commitments and undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty. I condemn this decision,” French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted.
“I have asked for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council and European sanctions.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Russia’s recognition of east Ukraine’s breakaway region requires a “swift and firm response”, tweeting that Washington and its partners will take “appropriate steps” against Moscow.In a separate statement, Blinken also slammed Moscow’s decision as “yet another example of President Putin’s flagrant disrespect for international law and norms”.
Putin has ordered Russia’s military to “maintain peace” in two breakaway regions of Ukraine that he recognised as independent.
In two official decrees, the Russian president instructed the country’s defence ministry to assume “the function of maintaining peace” in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
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