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Amid heightened tensions with Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognised the independence of two separatist regions of Ukraine — Donetsk and Lugansk — in the early hours of Tuesday. After his televised address to the nation, Putin also officially signed friendship and aid agreements with the Russia-backed separatist leaders of Ukraine.
The announcement comes after Putin convened an emergency meeting of the Russian Security Council where he talked about recognising the “independence” of Russia-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine.
Following Putin’s statement, Ukrainian President Zelensky convened a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. In a tweet, Zelensky said, “Given the statements made at the meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, I held urgent consultations with Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz and convened the National Security and Defence Council.” Follow Russia-Ukraine crisisLIVE Updates
Here are the top developments of today on the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
What did Vladimir Putin say in his address?
In a televised address to the nation on late Monday night (IST), Vladimir Putin said, “Those who embarked on the path of violence, bloodshed, lawlessness did not recognise and do not recognize any other solution to the Donbass issue, except for the military one. In this regard, I consider it necessary to take a long overdue decision to immediately recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic.”
Vladimir Putin also said Ukraine never had a tradition of genuine statehood. “Modern Ukraine was entirely created by Russia, more precisely, Bolshevik, communist Russia. This process began immediately after the revolution of 1917,” Putin said.
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Putin said Ukraine is not just a neighboring country, but part of Russia’s history. He said the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 saw Russia robbed and it put the country in a “really difficult position”.
Putin further alleged that Ukraine plans to unleash a war against Russians in Donbass and is acting on the orders from the West.
“Many European allies of the United States already perfectly understood all the risks of such a prospect, but were forced to come to terms with the will of their senior partner. The Americans simply used them to carry out a pronounced anti-Russian policy,” Putin said.
Putin calls Ukraine’s admission to Nato a direct threat to Russia
Putin claimed that Ukraine’s admission to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) would be a direct threat to Russia’s security. Presence of Nato training centres in Ukraine would amount to Nato military bases, Putin said.
Calling Ukraine a “US colony” with a “puppet regime”, Putin claimed Ukraine plans to create its own nuclear weapons with Soviet nuclear know-how.
How did EU, UN react?
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the recognition of the two separatist territories in Ukraine “is a blatant violation of international law, the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the Minsk agreements”.
“The EU and its partners will react with unity, firmness and with determination in solidarity with Ukraine,” Ursula von der Leyen said in a tweet.
The recognition of the two separatist territories in #Ukraine is a blatant violation of international law, the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the #Minsk agreements.
The EU and its partners will react with unity, firmness and with determination in solidarity with Ukraine.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) February 21, 2022
The 27-nation bloc European Union had warned Russia of sanctions if it tries to annex or recognise rebel Ukrainian regions.
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UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres cancelled his trip to Congo and will return to headquarters in New York due to “deteriorating situation regarding Ukraine”, AFP quoted his spokesman as saying.
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Following Putin’s televised address, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy held a call with US President Joe Biden. “Discussed the events of the last hours with @POTUS. We begin the meeting of the National Security and Defense Council. A conversation with @BorisJohnson is also planned,” Zelenskiy said in a tweet.
Discussed the events of the last hours with @POTUS. We begin the meeting of the National Security and Defense Council. A conversation with @BorisJohnson is also planned.
— ????????? ?????????? (@ZelenskyyUa) February 21, 2022
In a statement, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for urgent Ukraine talks with ‘closest partners’. He warned that Vladimir Putin recognising Ukraine’s rebels would be ‘unilateral breach’ of peace accords.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron has called an emergency national security meeting to over the Ukraine crisis.
Putin convenes meeting of Russian Security Council
In the meeting with top officials on Monday, Vladimir Putin briefed about the origin of the conflict, starting from the 2014 coup in Ukraine.
After the 2014 coup in Ukraine, part of the population did not accept the outcome. Let me remind you that this was an anti-constitutional, blood-shedding coup that killed many innocent people. It was truly an armed coup. Nobody can argue that,” Putin said.
“Some of the country’s citizens did not accept the coup. They were residents of Crimea and the people who currently live in Donbass. Those people declared that they were establishing two independent republics, the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic. This was the point when the confrontation started between the Kiev officials and the people living on that territory,” he added.
Standoff continues on Ukraine’s eastern front
Both Russia and Ukraine charged each other of aggression as troops of both countries remained stationed on the border.
In recent days, heavy shelling has increased between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatist groups in eastern Ukraine’s Donbass.
On Monday, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed that a shell fired from Ukrainian territory completely destroyed a Russian border guard post in Russia’s Rostov region. Ukraine denied shelling the border facility, terming Moscow’s claim as “fake news”.
Russian military also claimed that Ukrainian forces tried to enter its territory in armed vehicles. However, Ukraine again dismissed the accusation as “fake news”.