The crisis between Russia and the West worsens due to Moscow's continuing threats to Ukraine .
Vladimir Putin recognizes the independence of Donbass and announces the sending of troops to the area "to ensure peace"
Shooting continues in the Donbass, with pro-Russian separatists accusing the forces of Kiev of killing two civilians in an artillery bombardment in the village of Pionerskoye, in the self-proclaimed Republic of Lugansk, seven kilometers from the Russian border. The Ukrainian artillery shots, according to the same source, would have destroyed five buildings.
Putin: "Armed forces in Donbass to ensure peace"
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in the decree recognizing the breakaway republics of Lugansk and Donetsk, ordered the Russian Defense Ministry to deploy armed forces "to ensure peace" in Donbass, following the request of the leaders of the two entities. pro-Russian. This was reported by the Russian agencies Tass and Interfax.
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Biden calls for a ban on investments in the Donbass
"Joe Biden will soon sign an executive order prohibiting new investments, commercial and financial activities by the Americans for, from or in the so-called separatist regions of Ukraine": the White House announced after Vladimir Putin's recognition of the two secessionist republics.
"This executive order will provide the authority to impose sanctions on any person determined to operate in those areas of Ukraine," the White House continues.
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EU: "Sanctions on the way"
"The Union reiterates its unwavering support for the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine within the internationally recognized borders. The EU will react with direct sanctions against those involved in this illegal action". This is what we read in a joint statement by the president of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen and the president of the EU Council, Charles Michel. The tweet with which Michel expressed the first EU reaction to Moscow's recognition of the Donbass is shared from above by representing the EU Josep Borrell and by the President of the EP, Roberta Metsola.
Luigi Di Maio also expressed Italy's firm condemnation of Putin's recognition of Donbass.
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Putin speaks to the nation - "Ukraine is not a neighboring country, it is an integral part of our history and culture". Vladimir Putin said this in a message to the Russian people. "Ukraine was created by Lenin, it was the its creator and its architect. Lenin also had a particular interest in the Donbass ".
"Permanent threats have come from the Ukrainian authorities regarding energy. They continued to blackmail us on energy supplies and these are the tools they have used in their negotiations with the West," Putin added.
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Russia recognizes the Donbass - Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced to Olaf Sholz and Emmanuel Macron that he is about to sign a decree on recognizing the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk separatist republics in Donbass. The leaders of Berlin and Paris reiterated their opposition and "disappointment" to the number one in Moscow.
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Two more victims - Two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and four wounded in separatist bombings. This was reported by the Ukrainian police.
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Putin-Scholz phone call - Phone call between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Vladimir Putin. During the meeting, Scholz warned the Russian leader that any recognition of the Donbass would be a unilateral violation of the peace accords. After the urgent summit call between Scholz himself, French president Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky and their "closest partners" after Scholz's phone call with Putin. This was announced by the chancellery.
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Kiev calls for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council
Ukraine calls for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council. This was stated by the Ukrainian foreign minister after the announcement by Moscow that by today it will decide on the recognition of the separatists.
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Use: "Violent attack in the next days or hours"
"An extremely violent attack on Ukraine is possible in the next few days or hours." The White House said so underlining that "the invasion of Ukraine by Russia would brutally crush the Ukrainians".
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Lavrov: "West not ready to accept Russian proposals"
The West is not ready to accept Russian proposals to resolve the Ukrainian crisis. This was stated by Foreign Minister Serghiei Lavrov, quoted by Tass, adding that "the results of the Munich security conference confirmed that Western countries align themselves with Washington's position". And the US, he added, "wants to discuss secondary issues of the Russian proposals and as long as these proposals do not harm American and NATO interests".
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Putin: "The peace process has no prospects at the moment"
The peace process in the conflict in Ukraine has "no prospects" at the moment. This was stated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who shortly before had accused Kiev of not respecting the Minsk agreements, conducting "punitive operations against the Donbass".
Moscow accuses Kiev of amassing 59,300 soldiers on the border with the Donbass.
Putin also spoke of Ukraine's possible entry into NATO which "would dramatically increase the threats to Russia". And he said that by today he will decide on the recognition of the separatists.
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Putin to Macron: "Establish goals before summits" - Russian President Vladimir Putin told French leader Emmanuel Macron that he is not against Ukraine summits but that it is necessary to establish first what are the goals to be achieved. This was reported by Russian Foreign Minister Serghei Lavrov, according to reports from Tass.
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Kiev: "Agreement on an EU military training mission" - Ukraine and the European Union have reached "an agreement in principle" on the creation of an advisory military training mission in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in Brussels specifying that "it is not a question of combat forces".
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Separatists: "Hospital and central in Donetsk hit" - According to reports from the separatist militias of the self-proclaimed republic of Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine, the central hospital and a power plant in the homonymous capital of Donetsk were hit by a mortar bombardment by Ukrainian troops of the 54th Mechanized Brigade. This was reported by the Interfax agency.
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Putin meets the Extraordinary Security Council - Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold an extraordinary session of the Russian Security Council today: Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said this, taken up by the Interfax agency. "President Putin will convene a meeting of the Security Council of Russia. This is an extended security council," he told reporters. "The president is also expected to have a series of international telephone talks today," Peskov added.
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Kiev: “We ask the EU to impose some sanctions already now” - “Today we expect decisions, not just political messages. There are every reason to impose part of the sanctions already now ". This was stated by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, arriving in Brussels for the Foreign Affairs Council." Ukraine has been under attack since 2014 and what we are seeing now is a hybrid operation, with the increase of troops on our borders, cyberattacks, information warfare ".
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Borrell: "The sanctions on Russia are ready" - "The work on the sanctions is done, it is finished. When the time comes, I will call an extraordinary council of foreign ministers and I will present the sanctions". This was stated in Brussels by the high representative of EU foreign policy, Josep Borrell.
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Moscow: "61,000 refugees from Donbass entered Russia" - The number of civilians fleeing the Ukrainian region of Donbass has reached about 61,000, who are sheltered in Russia, in the Rostov region, after the evacuation ordered on Friday by the leaders of the self-proclaimed pro-Russian republics of Lugansk and Donetsk. This was revealed this morning by the Russian minister for emergencies, Alexander Chupriyan in a press conference, quoted by the Tass agency.
(Unioneonline)