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.
America Reacts
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.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/21/us-warns-of-possible-targeted-killings-by-russia-live-news
US, France and Germany discuss coordinated response to Russia
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 chief says Russia violating Ukraine’s sovereignty: Spokesperson
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.
US official says Russian troops could move into pro-Moscow regions of Ukraine in the coming hours
The US expects Russian troops could move into the Donbas region of Ukraine as soon as Monday evening or Tuesday eastern time, after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognizedthe two pro-Moscow territories as independent, a senior US official familiar with latest the intelligence tells CNN.