The White House on Tuesday began to refer to Russian troop deployments in eastern Ukraine as a “invasionafter initially hesitating to use the term – a red line which, according to President Joe Biden, would be result in the United States imposes severe sanctions against Moscow.
Several European leaders said earlier in the day Russian troops entered rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized their independence – but some said it was not yet the dreaded one, full- full-fledged invasion.
Later, the White House signaled a change in son own positioning.
“We think this is, yes, the beginning of an invasion of Russia latest invasion in Ukraine,” said Jon Finer, Deputy Principal national security advisor. “A invasion is a invasion and that’s what’s going on.
The White House has decided to begin calling Russia’s actions “invasion” car of the situation on the ground, according to a US official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
The administration initially resisted calling the deployment of troops because the White House wanted to see what Russia was actually going to do. After assessing Russian troop movements, he became clear it was a new invasion official added.
White House Press secretary Jen Psaki also refers to the Russian action as being a invasion in a twitter post commenting on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz decision stop the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in response to Russian actions.
The American President”made clear that if Russia invaded Ukraine, we would act with Germany to ensure Nord Stream 2 ne move forward”Psaki said.
For weeks, the Western powers have been preparing for a invasion as Russia massed about 150,000 troops on three sides of neighboring Ukraine. They warned a attack would like cause mass casualties, power shortages in Europe and economic chaos in the world – and promised swift and severe sanctions if this materialized. The European Union and Great Britain announced Tuesday that some of these measures were coming.
Western leaders have long warned that Moscow would seek for cover to invade – and just such a pretext seemed to come on Monday, when Putin recognized two breakaway regions as independent in eastern Ukraine, where government troops fought Russian-backed rebels in a conflict that killed over 14,000 people. The Kremlin then upped the ante further on Tuesday, saying recognition extended even to large parts now held by Ukrainian forces.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia has recognized the independence of the rebel regions “in borders that existed when they proclaimed “their independence in 2014 – vast territories that extend well beyond areas currently under rebel control and include the main Black Sea port of Mariupol.
by Putin move recognizing the independence of the territories has opened the door for him to formalize son hold on them and send in forces despite Ukraine and its Western allies accusing Russian troops of fighting there for years. Moscow denies these allegations.
Condemnation from around the world world was fast. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would consider severing diplomatic ties with Russia and Kyiv has recalled son ambassador in Moscow.
But the confusion over what exactly was going on in eastern Ukraine threatened to obstruct a western response. While the United States clearly called it an invasion, some other allies covered it up.
“The Russian troops entered in Donbas”, the name for the area where are the two breakaway regions, EU foreigners policy said chef Josep Borrell in Paris. “We consider the Donbass as part of of Ukraine.”
Corn in a distinction that could complicate a European and Western response, it added: “I would not say that (it is) a full-fledged invasion project, but the Russian troops are on Ukrainian soil.
Polish Ministry of Defense and UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid also said Russian forces had entered eastern Ukraine, with Javid told Sky News that “the invasion of Ukraine started.
Not all in Europe has seen it way. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares noted that “if Russia uses force against Ukraine, the sanctions will be massive.
The Kremlin has not confirmed any troop deployments to the rebel east, saying it will depend on the security situation. Vladislav Brig, member of the separatist local council in Donetsk, told reporters that Russian troops already had moved forever more senior the rebel leaders did not confirm this. Late Monday, convoys of armored vehicles were seen rolling through separatist-controlled territories. It wasn’t right away clear if they were Russian.
In response to the moves so far, senior EU officials have said the bloc is ready to impose sanctions on several Russian officials and banks financing the Russian Armed Forces and move limit Moscow access to the capital of the EU and financial markets. They gave few details.
EU foreign ministers will meet later on Tuesday to discuss the measures – but they do not appear to include the massive punishment repeatedly promised in Case of a full- full-fledged invasion.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also said the UK would impose sanctions on five Russian banks and three wealthy individuals.
While he said that the Russian tanks had already rolled in eastern Ukraine, he warned a full-climb offensive would bring “further powerful punishments.”
The White House has also moved to respond, the issuance of an executive order to ban U.S. investment and trade in separatist regions, and additional measures—probably sanctions—were to be taken announced Tuesday. These sanctions are independent of what Washington has prepared in the event of a russian invasionaccording to a senior administration official who informed journalists on the condition of anonymity.
The Russian moves also pushed Germany to suspend the certification process for Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline which was to bring natural gas from Russia. The pipeline was built for help Germany covers its energy needs, in particular as it passes off son last three nuclear power plants and phases out the use of coal, and he resisted calls from the United States and others to stop the project.
As world leaders rushed to decide on their response, legislation that will likely be set The scene for a deeper one move in Ukrainian territory passed through Russia parliament.
The bills, which sailed swiftly through the Kremlin-controlled parliament, provide military links between Moscow and breakaway regions, including possible deployment of Russian military pedestals in breakaway regions.
Even as alarm spread around the world, Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, sought to project calm, tell the country in an address overnight: “We are not afraid of anyone Or anything. We should not anyone nothing. And we won’t give anything for anyone.”
His foreign ministerDmytro Kuleba, will in Washington on Tuesday to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the State Department said.
Russia has long denied having plans invade Ukraine, instead blame the United States and its allies for the current crisis and describing Ukraine’s attempt to join NATO as existential challenge in Russia. Putin reiterated these accusations in a one-hour televised address on Monday, when he announced that Russia would recognize the rebels.
“Ukrainian membership in NATO represents a menace direct to the security of Russia,” he said.
Russia says he wants western guarantees that NATO won’t allow Ukraine and others former Soviet countries for join as members. Moscow has also asked the alliance to stop the deployment of weapons in Ukraine and to roll back its forces from Eastern Europe – demands flatly rejected by the West.
Putin warned on Monday that Western rejection of Moscow’s demands give Russia the right to take other steps to protect his safety.
Swipe through more one century of historyPutin portrayed present-day Ukraine as a modern construct used by the West to contain Russia despite the inextricable ties of neighbors.
In one warning to Ukraine, the Russian leader accused him of unfairly inheriting the historic land of Russia granted to him by the communist rulers of the Soviet Union and mocked its efforts to get rid of the communist past in a so-called “decommunization” campaign.
” We’re ready to show you what the real decommunization would mean for Ukraine”, Putin added grimly in an apparent signal of his desire to raise new territorial claims.
Amid rising tensions, US President Joe Biden and Putin tentatively agreed to a meeting in a last- giving up the effort to avoid war. But the United States has always said that if Russia moved in, the meeting would be off.
The White House on Tuesday began to refer to Russian troop deployments in eastern Ukraine as a “invasionafter initially hesitating to use the term – a red line which, according to President Joe Biden, would be result in the United States imposes severe sanctions against Moscow.
Several European leaders said earlier in the day Russian troops entered rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized their independence – but some said it was not yet the dreaded one, full- full-fledged invasion.
Later, the White House signaled a change in son own positioning.
“We think this is, yes, the beginning of an invasion of Russia latest invasion in Ukraine,” said Jon Finer, Deputy Principal national security advisor. “A invasion is a invasion and that’s what’s going on.
The White House has decided to begin calling Russia’s actions “invasion” car of the situation on the ground, according to a US official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
The administration initially resisted calling the deployment of troops because the White House wanted to see what Russia was actually going to do. After assessing Russian troop movements, he became clear it was a new invasion official added.
White House Press secretary Jen Psaki also refers to the Russian action as being a invasion in a twitter post commenting on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz decision stop the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in response to Russian actions.
The American President”made clear that if Russia invaded Ukraine, we would act with Germany to ensure Nord Stream 2 ne move forward”Psaki said.
For weeks, the Western powers have been preparing for a invasion as Russia massed about 150,000 troops on three sides of neighboring Ukraine. They warned a attack would like cause mass casualties, power shortages in Europe and economic chaos in the world – and promised swift and severe sanctions if this materialized. The European Union and Great Britain announced Tuesday that some of these measures were coming.
Western leaders have long warned that Moscow would seek for cover to invade – and just such a pretext seemed to come on Monday, when Putin recognized two breakaway regions as independent in eastern Ukraine, where government troops fought Russian-backed rebels in a conflict that killed over 14,000 people. The Kremlin then upped the ante further on Tuesday, saying recognition extended even to large parts now held by Ukrainian forces.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia has recognized the independence of the rebel regions “in borders that existed when they proclaimed “their independence in 2014 – vast territories that extend well beyond areas currently under rebel control and include the main Black Sea port of Mariupol.
by Putin move recognizing the independence of the territories has opened the door for him to formalize son hold on them and send in forces despite Ukraine and its Western allies accusing Russian troops of fighting there for years. Moscow denies these allegations.
Condemnation from around the world world was fast. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would consider severing diplomatic ties with Russia and Kyiv has recalled son ambassador in Moscow.
But the confusion over what exactly was going on in eastern Ukraine threatened to obstruct a western response. While the United States clearly called it an invasion, some other allies covered it up.
“The Russian troops entered in Donbas”, the name for the area where are the two breakaway regions, EU foreigners policy said chef Josep Borrell in Paris. “We consider the Donbass as part of of Ukraine.”
Corn in a distinction that could complicate a European and Western response, it added: “I would not say that (it is) a full-fledged invasion project, but the Russian troops are on Ukrainian soil.
Polish Ministry of Defense and UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid also said Russian forces had entered eastern Ukraine, with Javid told Sky News that “the invasion of Ukraine started.
Not all in Europe has seen it way. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares noted that “if Russia uses force against Ukraine, the sanctions will be massive.
The Kremlin has not confirmed any troop deployments to the rebel east, saying it will depend on the security situation. Vladislav Brig, member of the separatist local council in Donetsk, told reporters that Russian troops already had moved forever more senior the rebel leaders did not confirm this. Late Monday, convoys of armored vehicles were seen rolling through separatist-controlled territories. It wasn’t right away clear if they were Russian.
In response to the moves so far, senior EU officials have said the bloc is ready to impose sanctions on several Russian officials and banks financing the Russian Armed Forces and move limit Moscow access to the capital of the EU and financial markets. They gave few details.
EU foreign ministers will meet later on Tuesday to discuss the measures – but they do not appear to include the massive punishment repeatedly promised in Case of a full- full-fledged invasion.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also said the UK would impose sanctions on five Russian banks and three wealthy individuals.
While he said that the Russian tanks had already rolled in eastern Ukraine, he warned a full-climb offensive would bring “further powerful punishments.”
The White House has also moved to respond, the issuance of an executive order to ban U.S. investment and trade in separatist regions, and additional measures—probably sanctions—were to be taken announced Tuesday. These sanctions are independent of what Washington has prepared in the event of a russian invasionaccording to a senior administration official who informed journalists on the condition of anonymity.
The Russian moves also pushed Germany to suspend the certification process for Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline which was to bring natural gas from Russia. The pipeline was built for help Germany covers its energy needs, in particular as it passes off son last three nuclear power plants and phases out the use of coal, and he resisted calls from the United States and others to stop the project.
As world leaders rushed to decide on their response, legislation that will likely be set The scene for a deeper one move in Ukrainian territory passed through Russia parliament.
The bills, which sailed swiftly through the Kremlin-controlled parliament, provide military links between Moscow and breakaway regions, including possible deployment of Russian military pedestals in breakaway regions.
Even as alarm spread around the world, Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, sought to project calm, tell the country in an address overnight: “We are not afraid of anyone Or anything. We should not anyone nothing. And we won’t give anything for anyone.”
His foreign ministerDmytro Kuleba, will in Washington on Tuesday to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the State Department said.
Russia has long denied having plans invade Ukraine, instead blame the United States and its allies for the current crisis and describing Ukraine’s attempt to join NATO as existential challenge in Russia. Putin reiterated these accusations in a one-hour televised address on Monday, when he announced that Russia would recognize the rebels.
“Ukrainian membership in NATO represents a menace direct to the security of Russia,” he said.
Russia says he wants western guarantees that NATO won’t allow Ukraine and others former Soviet countries for join as members. Moscow has also asked the alliance to stop the deployment of weapons in Ukraine and to roll back its forces from Eastern Europe – demands flatly rejected by the West.
Putin warned on Monday that Western rejection of Moscow’s demands give Russia the right to take other steps to protect his safety.
Swipe through more one century of historyPutin portrayed present-day Ukraine as a modern construct used by the West to contain Russia despite the inextricable ties of neighbors.
In one warning to Ukraine, the Russian leader accused him of unfairly inheriting the historic land of Russia granted to him by the communist rulers of the Soviet Union and mocked its efforts to get rid of the communist past in a so-called “decommunization” campaign.
” We’re ready to show you what the real decommunization would mean for Ukraine”, Putin added grimly in an apparent signal of his desire to raise new territorial claims.
Amid rising tensions, US President Joe Biden and Putin tentatively agreed to a meeting in a last- giving up the effort to avoid war. But the United States has always said that if Russia moved in, the meeting would be off.