President Vladimir Putin on Monday ordered Russian troops into Eastern Ukraine to “maintain peace” in two breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, hours after the Russian president recognised them as independent entities, Al Jazeera reported.
In two official decrees, Mr Putin instructed the country’s defence ministry to assume “the function of maintaining peace” in the eastern regions, which it has backed since 2014.
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.
Mr Putin’s announcement paved the way for Russia to openly send troops and weapons to an area witnessing a long-running conflict between Ukrainian forces and Moscow-backed rebels.
The U.S. said calling them peacekeepers was “nonsense”, and accused Russia of creating a pretext for war. Several Western countries have announced sanctions in response.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said his country was “not afraid of anything or anyone”.
In a late-night televised address to the nation, President Zelensky called for “clear and effective actions of support” from Ukraine’s international allies.
“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,” BBC quoted Mr Zelensky saying.
PREMIUM TIMES reports that fears of an invasion have been rising in recent months, as Russia had massed some 150,000 troops along Ukraine’s borders, according to U.S. estimates.
At an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield dismissed Russia’s claims that troops would be taking on a “peacekeeping” role, saying: “We know what they really are.”
Recognising Luhansk and Donetsk as independent was part of Russia’s bid to create a reason to invade Ukraine, she said.
World leaders React
Western leaders have rallied behind Ukraine, promising tough sanctions against Russia if it invades Ukraine’s territory.
The U.S. has condemned Mr Putin’s move, and President Joe Biden signed an executive order that prohibits new investment, trade and financing by Americans in the breakaway regions. The White House said the measures were separate to wider sanctions which are ready to go “should Russia further invade Ukraine”.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Russia had violated Ukrainian sovereignty and “completely torn up” international law. He said Mr Putin appeared “bent on a full-scale invasion”, and promised a “barrage of sanctions.” Already the UK has announced sanctions on some of Russia’s largest banks.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was halting the process of certifying the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline because of Russia’s actions. The gas pipeline between Russia and Germany was completed last September but is not yet operating. Running under the Baltic Sea, it would double Moscow’s gas exports to Germany and circumvent Ukraine, which relies on existing pipelines for income.
The European Union pledged to “react with unity, firmness and with determination in solidarity with Ukraine.”
Although there are fears that the Russian action could lead to a full-blown war in the region, so far there has been no such inter-nation military conflict.
The NATO debacle
Russia’s actions in Ukraine are not new. Russia in 2014 annexed Crimea, which was part of Ukraine, after a Russia-aligned Ukrainian president was controversially forced out of power.
Russia had repeatedly demanded a guarantee that its neighbour, Ukraine, would not be allowed to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), which Russia says threatens its rise.
However, Western countries, led by the U.S., have repeatedly insisted that it is left for Ukraine to decide whether or not it wants to join the U.S.-led NATO and have refused to grant Russia the guarantee it seeks.
