Amid ongoing military tensions with the West, Russian President Vladimir Putin has recognized the pro-Russian separatist-controlled Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine as “independent republics.” At the same time, he announced the deployment of Russian troops as “peacekeepers” in the region. Western nations and world leaders have reacted to Putin’s remarks in a speech on Russian state television on Monday.
“The United States supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and geographical unity,” said Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. Washington stands by the Ukrainian government and people to keep it intact. He added that Putin had no interest in finding a diplomatic solution to the situation.
White House Press Secretary Jane Sackie said in a statement that “US President Joe Biden has strongly condemned Putin’s announcement.” Jane Sackie added that the United States has announced that it will take “immediate and decisive action” in response to the Russian aggression in Ukraine. Biden has signed an executive order banning new investments, trade and financing in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine.
Earlier, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas Greenfield called Putin’s remarks “irrational.” “We know who those troops are in the name of peacekeepers,” he told an emergency Security Council meeting on the Ukraine crisis.
By recognizing the two regions of Ukraine as independent republics, Putin has broken his promise to reduce ongoing tensions and protect Ukraine’s sovereignty, said French President Emmanuel Makhon. “I condemn such an initiative,” he said. It will hold quick meetings with the United Nations and the European Union to impose sanctions on Russia.
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson said: “Putin’s statement is a clear violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and integrity. It is tantamount to rejecting the Minsk agreement. The UK will do everything possible to stand by the people of Ukraine. ” Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Christian Lindner said Putin had violated international law by making such an announcement. Isolating himself from the world. The move would bring NATO and the EU closer together.
A spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the United Nations fully supports Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. At the same time, there is UN support for the country’s internationally recognized borders. Russia’s move is a clear violation of the UN Charter.
Jane Stoltenberg, head of the Western military alliance NATO, said: “I condemn the announcement made by Russia. This is a clear violation of the Minsk Agreement. In that agreement, Russia promised to protect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. European Commission President Ursula von de Lien called Putin’s announcement a “clear violation of international law, the Minsk agreement and Ukraine’s territorial integrity.”
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has warned that Putin’s move will not be accepted. He said the declaration violated Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. If Putin launches an aggression on Ukraine, the international community will quickly retaliate. On the other hand, India’s Ambassador to the UN TS Tirumurthy called on the parties concerned to “exercise restraint” and said that easing the ongoing tensions surrounding Ukraine should now be a top priority.
Meanwhile, China, one of Russia’s allies, described the situation as “complex”. “The current situation in Ukraine is the result of a number of complex problems,” said Zhang Jun, China’s ambassador to the United Nations. He called on the parties concerned not to take any action that could escalate tensions in the situation.
Iran has called on the parties concerned to resolve the issue through talks so as not to escalate the ongoing tensions with Ukraine. “The situation in Ukraine is complicated by provocative initiatives by the United States and the Western military alliance, NATO,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a statement.
However, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has directly supported Russia’s position on the Ukraine issue. “Russian President Vladimir Putin has done just that by recognizing the two territories of eastern Ukraine as independent,” he said. I’m sure if a referendum is held like Crimea, people will vote to annex those regions (Donetsk and Luhansk) to Russia. ”
Vladimir Putin has been trying for years to restore Russia’s influence over the states that broke away from the Soviet Union. Ukraine is in an important position to meet his goal.
Now that the two rebel-held regions of eastern Ukraine have been recognized as independent states, there is an opportunity to send Russian troops there. Russia has recently mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops along Ukraine’s eastern border. The United States has repeatedly said that Putin is planning a military operation in Ukraine.
