February 22, 2022 Ukraine-Russia crisis news

US President Joe Biden speaks from the East Room of the White House on February 22.

The White House says US President Joe Biden met Tuesday with Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba of Ukraine “to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

According to the White House, Biden “updated Foreign Minister Kuleba on the United States’ response to Russia’s decision to recognize the purported ‘independence’ of the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine, including the Executive Order issued last night and new sanctions announced today,” pledging to continue security assistance and economic support to Ukraine.

“President Biden reiterated the readiness of the United States, in close cooperation with our Allies and partners, to respond swiftly and decisively to any further Russian aggression against Ukraine,” the White House says.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed during a call Tuesday that Russia’s actions “don’t just threaten Ukraine’s sovereignty but are a blatant attack on freedom and democracy,” according to a UK government statement. 

Johnson in the call said Putin’s “actions were a gross violation of international law, and by sending forces into Eastern Ukraine he had ripped up the Budapest and Minsk agreements.” 

US President Joe Biden announces a new round of sanctions against Russia during a press conference at the White House on February 22.

On the heels of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order of Russian troops into two separatist pro-Moscow regions in eastern Ukraine, President Biden announced a new round of sanctions against Russia. 

“I’m announcing the first tranche of sanctions to impose costs on Russia in response to their actions yesterday,” Biden said in remarks from the White House. “These have been closely coordinated with our allies and partners and we’ll continue to escalate sanctions if Russia escalates.”

Here are the sanctions as detailed by Biden:

Biden also noted that if Russia “continues its aggression,” additional sanctions could follow.

The US President pledged his administration was using “every tool at our disposal” to limit the effect of sanctions against Russia on domestic gas prices, acknowledging that Americans will likely see rising prices at the pump in the coming months.

Moving forward, Biden said the administration is “closely monitoring energy supplies for any disruption.”

Last week, Biden signaled Americans should expect to see rising prices in the event of further sanctions against Russia, currently the second largest oil producer in the world. JPMorgan has warned of $120 or even $150 per barrel crude oil if Russian exports are disrupted. The current price is less than $100 per barrel.

Here’s a look at how the price of oil has changed over time:

CNN’s DJ Judd contributed reporting to this post.

US soldiers at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, wait to be deployed to Europe on February 14.

President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that he has authorized additional movements of US forces and military equipment in Europe to “strengthen” Baltic allies in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, following Russian President Vladimir Putin ordering troops into two separatist regions of Ukraine.

Biden said he wanted to be clear that these are “totally defensive moves on our part.”

“We have no intention of fighting Russia. We want to send an unmistakable message though: that the United States together with our allies will defend every inch of NATO territory. And abide by the commitments we made to NATO,” Biden added.

An exterior view of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline receiving station in Lubmin, Germany, on February 2. 

President Biden announced new round of sanctions against Russia during his remarks from the White House on the Ukraine crisis and the latest actions announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Biden said that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline will “not move forward” as a part of the latest sanctions from the US and its’ allies.

The 750-mile pipeline was completed in September but has not yet received final certification from German regulators. When up and running, it would boost deliveries of gas directly from Russia to Germany.

On Tuesday, Germany said it was halting certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline following Moscow’s actions in eastern Ukraine on Monday.

The United States, the United Kingdom, Ukraine and several EU countries have opposed the pipeline since it was announced in 2015, warning the project would increase Moscow’s influence in Europe.

Nord Stream 2 could deliver 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. That’s more than 50% of Germany’s annual consumption and could be worth as much as $15 billion to Gazprom, the Russian state owned company that controls the pipeline.

US President Joe Biden speaks from the East Room of the White House on February 22.

US President Joe Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin’s speech on Monday a “twisted rewrite of history” in which he attacked Ukraine’s “right to exist.”

“I’m not going to go into it, nothing in Putin’s lengthy remarks indicate interest in pursuing real dialogue on European security in the year 2022. He directly attacked Ukraine’s right to exist. He indirectly threatened territory formerly held by Russia, including nations that today are thriving democracies and members of NATO,” Biden said.

Biden continued, saying Putin “explicitly threatened war unless his extreme demands were met.” The President said that there’s no question that Russia is “the aggressor” against Ukraine. 

Biden said he believes that “there is still time to avert the worst-case scenario” with diplomacy.

The President concluded his remarks, saying, “I’m hoping diplomacy is still available.” 

US President Joe Biden described events now underway in Ukraine as “the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine” as he unveiled harsh new sanctions to punish Moscow.

“Who in the Lord’s name does Putin think gives him the right to declare new so-called countries on territory that belongs to his neighbors?” Biden asked. “This is a flagrant violation of international law and demands a firm response from the international community.”

Biden’s description of Russia’s actions in Ukraine immediately ups the stakes for his response. He and other senior officials have vowed to impose severe economic consequences if Russian troops cross into Ukraine, including on members of Putin’s inner-circle and Russian financial institutions.

“We’ve said all along, and I’ve told Putin face to face a month — more than a month ago, that we would act together in the moment Russia moved against Ukraine,” Biden said. “Russia has now undeniably moved against Ukraine by declaring these independent states.”

But Biden is also expecting to reserve some of his toughest measures, hoping to use them should Putin wage the type of bloody and sustained attack US officials have been warning about for weeks. 

The administration began describing events in eastern Ukraine as an “invasion” earlier Tuesday after assessing the situation on the ground there, according to administration officials.

The White House declined to provide specific intelligence that might further explain the shift in tone.

President Biden addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin recognizing two separatist-held regions in eastern Ukraine and said that the action is “the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.”

“Yesterday Vladimir Putin recognized two regions of Ukraine as independent states. And he bizarrely asserted that these regions are longer a part of Ukraine and their sovereign territory,” Biden said during his remarks from the White House on the Ukraine crisis.

“To put it simply, Russia announced it is carving out a big chunk of Ukraine. Last night, Putin authorized Russian forces to deploy into these regions. Today, he asserted these regions are actually extend deeper than the two areas he recognized, claiming large areas currently under the jurisdiction of the Ukraine government,” he said.

US President Joe Biden is delivering remarks on the Ukraine crisis from the White House.

Today’s remarks are his first public appearance since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops to deploy to separatist regions of Eastern Ukraine on Monday.

Biden’s remarks come amid a hardening of the White House language on Russian’s actions Tuesday morning.

“We think this is, yes, the beginning of an invasion, Russia’s latest invasion into Ukraine,” US principal deputy national security adviser Jon Finer said in an interview on CNN’s “New Day,” adding the sanctions imposed Monday were the merely the “beginning” of the US response.

“An invasion is an invasion and that is what is underway,” Finer said. “I am calling it an invasion.”

That was further than US officials were willing to go on Monday evening, and reflected the growing sense among Biden’s team that a fuller assault on Ukrainian territory would begin shortly. Officials said continued signs of Russian aggression overnight led to a change in tone.

Read more here about Biden’s remarks and where things stand in the crisis.

A Ukrainian soldier walks in the town of Schastia, near the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk, on February 22.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called for the need to rebuild security mechanism in Europe as he and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell announced the EU’s first sanction package against Russia at a joint news conference in Paris on Tuesday, following Moscow’s decision to recognize the independence of the two breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine. 

Le Drian said that the latest sanctions package is only a first step. The EU will impose more sanctions if Russia further violates Ukraine’s sovereignty. 

“This is a first train, there are other ammunitions, to use the term of Josep, that are in the hold,” he said. 

He also announced that his meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, originally scheduled for Friday in the French capital, has been called off due to Russia’s recent actions. 

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, left, welcomes Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba before a meeting at the Pentagon on February 22.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Russia’s recognition of two separatist-held regions in eastern Ukraine as independent states “directly undermines Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” 

The defense secretary is meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba at the Pentagon today.

Austin called the US support for Ukraine “unwavering” in the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin “attacking the very notion of independent Ukraine.”

“Mr. Putin can still avoid a full-blown tragic war of choice,” said Austin, praising Ukraine’s “measured response” to the renewed invasion and continued pursuit of a diplomatic resolution.

Kuleba responded that though he is on a diplomatic mission to the US, “these days diplomacy means also defense.”

Police stand guard in front of the Russian Embassy in Kyiv on February 22.

The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs cited “threats of physical violence in a lengthy statement announcing a decision to pull diplomatic staff from Ukraine.

The statement was issued shortly after Russia’s Federation Council approved a request by Russian President Vladimir Putin to deploy troops abroad, amid concerns over possible war with Ukraine.

Russia’s actions on Monday “are the beginning of the latest Russian invasion of Ukraine,” Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Tuesday.

“They are utterly unprovoked and unjustified,” Sherman said of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recognition of the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk and its deployment of “peacekeeping” forces to the region. 

Sherman’s language – and that of Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer – acknowledging the moves as an invasion are a shift from the inconclusive language used by a senior administration official on Monday.

That official refused to say whether they considered the actions a further invasion, despite being repeatedly pressed by reporters during a call, and emphasized that Russian forces had already been operating in those regions. 

Sherman said that “in the coming hours, the United States will announce significant additional sanctions and other measures that will impose severe costs and consequences on the Russian Federation.” 

“We expect our allies and partners will take additional, coordinated steps as well to respond to Russia’s unprovoked and unacceptable aggression against Ukraine,” she said.

Sherman said the Russian President “is testing our international system, he is testing our resolve. He wants to demonstrate that through force, he can make a farce of the international order.” 

“The United States continues to believe that the diplomatic path is the only way for responsible nations — for great powers — to resolve their legitimate differences. That path is still available to Russia. It is still available to us all. But we can only make progress in the context of de-escalation, not invasion. Of peace, not war,” Sherman said.

Police stand guard in front of the Russian Embassy in Kyiv on February 22.

Russia is pulling its diplomatic staff from Ukraine “to protect their lives and safety,” the Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday. 

“To protect their lives and safety, the Russian leadership has decided to evacuate the personnel of Russian foreign missions in Ukraine, a measure that will be implemented in the very near future,” the statement added.

Sen. Bob Menendez speaks to a reporter at the US Capitol on February 16.

Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez, the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Tuesday that he is “convinced that there are more Russian forces today than yesterday” across the border in Ukraine.

Menendez argued that the US needs to impose “severe” sanctions and be “overwhelming” in its response to Russia, otherwise Putin will “continue to calibrate in a way that he thinks he can get away with.”

“I think we can stop equivocating as to whether we have an invasion or not. I think the West, the United States has to make it very clear to Putin that the consequences begin now,” he said.

CNN’s Sam Waldenberg contributed to this report.

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, second from right, attends a meeting between NATO and Russia in Brussels on January 12.

In remarks delivered prior to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Tuesday address, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman noted that “Russia never fulfilled a single, solitary one of its obligations under the Minsk agreements.”

“The ink was barely dry on the Minsk agreements before Moscow began to pretend that its guns, its artillery systems, and its anti-aircraft missiles had never been inside Ukraine at all,” she continued. “They attempted to gaslight the world into believing it was all a mirage, and that Russia had never been a party to this conflict.”

“Now Russia has showed the world its true intentions by once again violating Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and its internationally recognized borders,” Sherman said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers an address from Moscow on February 21.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declined Tuesday to give a specific timeline on the deployment of Russian troops, after Russia’s upper house of parliament approved sending forces abroad. 

“Firstly, I didn’t say that the troops would go there right after our meeting with you here, that’s the first thing,” Putin said in response to a question from reporters.

The G7 foreign ministers have agreed to a “strong package of coordinated escalatory sanctions” against Russia in response to Moscow “violating their international commitments,” British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Tuesday.

See Truss’s tweet here:

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks at a press briefing at NATO headquarters in Brussels on February 22.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday said Russia has now moved “from covert attempts to destabilize Ukraine to overt military action.” 

He called the Russia-Ukraine crisis “the most dangerous moment in European security for a generation.”

“NATO is resolute and united in its determination to protect and defend all allies. In the last weeks, allies have deployed 1000s more troops to eastern part of the alliance and placed more on standby. We have over 100 jets at high alert and there are more than 120 allies’ ships at the sea from the high north to the Mediterranean,” he added.

“We will continue to do whatever is necessary to shield the alliance from aggression,” he continued.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Minsk agreement for resolving the Ukraine crisis “no longer exists” after recognizing the independence of two Moscow-backed regions.

Putin was speaking to reporters after Russia’s upper chamber of parliament gave consent to Putin to deploy Russian armed forces outside the country in connection with the situation in the Donbas. 

Some background: The Minsk agreement, the second of its kind (and the one that matters), was hammered out in the Belarusian capital in a bid to end what was then a bloody 10-month conflict in eastern Ukraine. But it has never been fully implemented, with its key issues still unresolved. It was was signed by representatives of Russia, Ukraine, the separatist leaders and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). It was subsequently endorsed by a UN Security Council resolution. This put an end to the worst of the fighting at the time. But to this day, the OSCE patrols the frontlines and reports ceasefire violations along the border.

Read more about the Minsk agreement here.

Ukrainian rock band Okean Elzy performs an impromptu patriotic concert in a park in central Kyiv.

When Liubov Illienko, 56, heard that the popular Ukrainian band Okean Elzy was going to perform an impromptu patriotic concert in a park in central Kyiv on Tuesday, she grabbed her daughter and a large Ukrainian flag, jumped into a taxi and headed to the performance.

Liubov Illienko and her daughter Zhenia Tuholukova came to the concert with a large Ukrainian flag.

“I watched Putin’s speech yesterday — not the full version, but some bits of it. I think he is a maniac to say such things and act this way,” she said. “I know that Ukrainians are a strong nation and we will be victorious and now we are united as never.”

Illienko and her daughter Zhenia Tuholukova, 23, were part of the large crowd of people who attended the pop-up event.

Okean Elzy are known for their patriotic Ukrainian songs and many of the attendees joined in and sang along the chorus of one of their biggest hits: “Everything will be good.”

Ania Andriyashko, 33, came to the concert with her 8-year old son and their dog.

Ania Andriyashko, 33, came to the concert with her 8-year-old son and their dog.

“I didn’t watch Putin’s speech yesterday, but I read the report with the main bullet points from it. It’s horrible. But nothing new really, this had to happen at some point, it was just a matter of time,” she said. “I felt quite anxious after reading [about Putin’s speech] and have no clear understanding of what will happen now. It just proves that nothing can be foreseen in advance.”

The Federation Council — Russia’s upper chamber of parliament — gave consent to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the use of the Russian armed forces outside the country in connection with the situation in the Donbas, Russian state news agencies RIA-Novosti and TASS reported Tuesday. 

A resolution was unanimously adopted on the matter at an extraordinary meeting of the upper house of parliament, TASS said, with 153 senators voting in favor.

This post has been updated with the latest news.

US President Joe Biden will provide an update on Russia and Ukraine at 1 p.m. ET in the East Room, the White House said. 

White House press secretary Jen Psaki’s briefing was moved to 4 p.m. ET.

The White House is expected to announce a new set of sanctions against Russia after President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops into two separatist pro-Moscow regions in eastern Ukraine after recognizing their independence on Monday.

You can follow along for the latest updates and watch Biden’s speech here.

This post has been updated with the latest timing of Biden’s speech.

People hold the State Flag of Ukraine measuring 50 by 20 metres at the Raduha (Rainbow) cascade of fountains on the Day of Unity, Zaporizhzhia, southeastern Ukraine on February 16.

Ukrainians are on edge after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops into two separatist pro-Moscow regions in eastern Ukraine after recognizing their independence on Monday. CNN spoke to some people on the ground in Zaporizhzhia. They declined to provide their last names.

“This is a violation of sovereignty and there is no room for another view,” said 31-year-old Roman, who works as a lawyer. “I don’t know if it means war will come – but it is definitely an escalation and it’s a fact.”

Roman added that his action will depend on what happens next. “I might join a territorial defense unit.”

Meanwhile, 27-year-old Alyona said these tensions over territory could have been avoided if the residents of Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic were give a referendum eight years ago.

“I think we should have given DPR and LPR a referendum on this eight years ago. There should have been three questions, ‘Do you want to be in Russia?’, ‘Do you want to be in Ukraine?’, or ‘Do you want to be independent?’ and give them the choice, because all this fighting doesn’t make sense.”

The role and rhetoric from the United States is also a key factor in the situation for 45-year-old Alexander.

“This isn’t a war against Ukraine or against Europe. It’s a war between Russia and USA,” Alexander told CNN.

Zaporizhzhia.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex attends a session of questions to the government at the French National Assembly in Paris, France, on February 22.

French President Emmanuel Macron’s diplomatic sprint to de-escalate the Russia-Ukraine crisis hasn’t been a complete success, French Prime Minister Jean Castex admitted while speaking at the French National Assembly on Tuesday.   

Macron has been very active in mediating between Russia, Ukraine and the West since the latest crisis between Ukraine and Russia started.  

But Putin’s decision on Monday to recognize two separatist pro-Moscow regions in eastern Ukraine have led some in France to question Macron’s previous efforts.  

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Paris is discussing EU sanctions against Russia with other member states. 

A woman walks past a board showing currency exchange rates of the US dollar and the euro against the Russian ruble in Moscow, Russia, on February 22.

Global markets tumbled and crude oil prices surged to $99 per barrel on Tuesday after Russia ordered troops into parts of eastern Ukraine.

Wall Street also headed lower as traders returned from the holiday weekend.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian troops into two separatist pro-Moscow regions in eastern Ukraine after recognizing their independence on Monday. The move appears to be the opening salvo of a larger potential military operation targeting Ukraine, US and western officials told CNN.

Escalating uncertainty about Ukraine was reflected by a spike in energy prices. US crude futures jumped 5.4% to trade at $95.65 per barrel. Brent crude, the global benchmark, surged 3.8% to $99.17 per barrel.

Russia is one of the world’s biggest producers of oil. It is also a major exporter of natural gas. 

Investors fear that conflict in Ukraine could limit or stop the flow of Russian gas into Europe, making it much more expensive for people to heat and light their homes. In 2020, Russia accounted for about 38% of the European Union’s natural gas imports, according to data agency Eurostat.

The region’s biggest economy, Germany, is particularly exposed as it weans itself off of coal and nuclear power. So are Italy and Austria, which receive gas via pipelines that run through Ukraine.

Western countries would likely respond to a Russian invasion of Ukraine with punishing sanctions that could cut Russian banks off from the global financial system and make it more difficult for the country to export its oil and gas.

Dmitry Medvedev attends a meeting of the Interdepartmental Migration Policy Commission via video link from his Gorki residence, Russia, on February 22.

The deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, has responded to Germany’s announcement on Tuesday that it would halt the certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, warning of a severe hike in natural gas prices for Europe.

Earlier on Tuesday, Scholz announced that the certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline would be halted in response to Moscow’s actions in eastern Ukraine. 

“With regards to the latest developments, we need to reassess the situation also with regards to Nord Stream 2. It sounds very technocratic, but it is the necessary administrative step in order to stop certification of the pipeline,” Scholz said in Berlin.

Some background: The 750-mile pipeline was completed in September but has not yet received final certification from German regulators. Without that, natural gas cannot flow through the Baltic Sea pipeline from Russia to Germany.                        

Nord Stream 2 could deliver 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. That’s more than 50% of Germany’s annual consumption and could be worth as much as $15 billion to Gazprom, the Russian state owned company that controls the pipeline.

The United States, the United Kingdom, Ukraine and several EU countries have opposed the pipeline since it was announced in 2015, warning the project would increase Moscow’s influence in Europe.

Germany: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stopped the progression of the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline following Moscow’s actions in eastern Ukraine. The pipeline, which would have increased European reliance on energy from Russia, has been a major source of contention in Europe and the United States for years. Without undergoing the certification or approval process, the pipeline cannot start running. 

United Kingdom: Prime Minister Boris Johnson has unveiled the “first tranche” of British sanctions on Russia, condemning Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine aggression. The UK will sanction five Russian banks and three “very high net worth” individuals, Johnson said in Parliament.

“What (Putin) is doing is going to be a disaster for Russia,” he said, predicting “pariah status” for the nation if it continues to further invade Ukraine.

European Union: The European Commission proposed sanctions to EU members states and placed a particular emphasis that would mirror sanctions taken in Crimea after the 2014 annexation by Moscow. Sources say US and European officials have been in intense discussions over the several past hours over how to proceed with additional sanctions against Russia.

United States: After its first set of announced sanctions on Monday, the White House has said it will impose additional “significant” sanctions on Tuesday. Monday’s sanctions were cautious in nature and Tuesday’s sanctions are expected to go further but it will not be the full blow that the US has previewed, pending “further actions” by Russia.

Turkey: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to recognize breakaway eastern Ukrainian territories, calling it “unacceptable,” and saying it is contrary to the Minsk Agreements.

China: China’s Foreign Ministry evaded more than a dozen questions on Ukraine in its daily briefing on Tuesday. In his responses, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin reiterated that any country’s “legitimate security concerns should be respected” and urged all parties to “exercise restraint.” Beijing is navigating a complex position as it attempts to balance deepening ties with Moscow with its practiced foreign policy of staunchly defending state sovereignty.

The Slavyanskaya compressor station, operated by Gazprom, is the starting point of the Nord Stream 2 offshore natural gas pipeline located in the Leningrad region, Russia on July 27.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has hailed Germany’s decision to halt certification of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline as a “brave step.”

Some background: Earlier today, Germany said it was halting certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline following Moscow’s actions in eastern Ukraine on Monday.

The 750-mile pipeline was completed in September but has not yet received final certification from German regulators. Without that, natural gas cannot flow through the Baltic Sea pipeline from Russia to Germany.

The United States, the United Kingdom, Ukraine and several EU countries have opposed the pipeline since it was announced in 2015, warning the project would increase Moscow’s influence in Europe.

Nord Stream 2 could deliver 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. That’s more than 50% of Germany’s annual consumption and could be worth as much as $15 billion to Gazprom, the Russian state owned company that controls the pipeline.

Engineers working on the creation of pipes in the production hall at the Nord Stream 2 facility at Mukran on Ruegen Island on October 19, 2017 in Sassnitz, Germany.

There are few energy projects in the world as controversial as Nord Stream 2, and on Tuesday, it all but died in the water as Germany’s leader halted its approval process. 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s announcement was the strongest concrete response yet from the West to Russia’s military action in eastern Ukraine. But it puts Europe in an uncomfortable position — Russia could simply turn off its other gas taps that power most of the continent and leave millions of people in the dark and cold. 

Fears that Russia would use Nord Stream 2 as a geopolitical weapon to push it interests — and expansionism — in Europe were well founded. But loading the weapon with actual gas will weaken Europe’s position even further.

Whether or not Germany officially scraps Nord Stream 2, Russia’s actions in Ukraine make the project politically untenable. 

The pipeline was already running into political problems. The 1,230-kilometer pipeline was supposed to ferry huge amounts of Russian gas to Europe via Germany, and although it has been sitting there, built for more than five months, not a single delivery has passed through it.

Germany’s new coalition government has a strong Greens presence that opposed the increased reliance on natural gas – a fossil fuel that is now contributing more greenhouse gas emissions in the EU than coal, so reliant it has become on what was supposed to be a fuel to transition to renewables. 

Nord Stream 2 was set to add 100 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year, not to mention the inevitable leaks of methane, a greenhouse gas with more than 80 times the planet-warming power of CO2 in the short term.

Now Europe — Germany in particular – has an opportunity to use this moment to move away not just from Nord Stream 2 but its growing reliance on fossil gas altogether. 

Germany is one of few developed nations that opposes nuclear power and is in the process of shutting down its few reactors. Without it, it will need a radical rethink to speed up energy generation from renewables. And considering the environmental concerns around dealing with the radioactive waste that nuclear energy brings, its role in the future energy mix has its limitations. A rapid scale-up of renewables – solar, wind and hydropower – offer security in both energy and climate protection. Moving subsidies away from fossil fuels to renewables would be an easy first step.

In the short term, Europe can scramble gas from other countries — unlikely enough to replace Russia, but perhaps enough to get by — and deal with the immediate Russian threat.

But the forever problem of the climate crisis will keep churning and will ultimately be deadlier and costlier than military confrontation is likely to be.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on February 22.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that while Russia has sought to cooperate with all the independent nations which emerged after the fall of the Soviet Union, the situation in Ukraine “is different” due to intervention by foreign nations.

“We intend to work this way with all our neighbors, but with Ukraine, the situation is different,” he continued. “This is because, unfortunately, the territory of this country is being used by third countries to create threats against the Russian Federation itself. That is the only reason.”

Addressing the president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, in Moscow, Putin spoke of his decision to recognize the separatist-controlled Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic on Monday. 

“I shall say straight away that we foresaw speculation on this subject that ‘Russia is going is restore an empire within imperial borders.’ That is absolutely not true,” Putin said, adding that he will discuss the situation in Ukraine in further detail during his meeting with Aliyev.

A man holds the remains of a mortar which exploded in front of a building in the town of Schastia, Ukraine, on February 22.

Two Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 12 others injured in shelling by Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine on Monday, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday in a statement. 

The ministry said the Ukrainian Defense Forces recorded 84 ceasefire violations on Monday, 64 of which involved weapons prohibited by the 2015 Minsk Peace agreement. Most of the violence was recorded along the contact line in Luhansk.

In a separate statement on Tuesday, the ministry said it has so far recorded 152 attacks on civilian objects in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk over the past five days. 

It said one civilian was killed, two were injured and three more suffered concussions. 

In total, the ministry said 48 homes, four schools and educational institutions and 11 infrastructure facilities were damaged over the past five days. 

The shelling on Monday follows a weekend of violations: the Ukrainian Border Guards saidthat Shchastia, a crossing point for international humanitarian organizations at the Line of Contact, had been closed since 8 a.m. local time Sunday due to shelling. A UNHCR convoy that used the crossing point Friday said it had been caught in crossfire.

Some residents of Donetsk — which is controlled by pro-Russian separatists — reported heavy shelling early Sunday, ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement on Monday that Donetsk would be recognized as a Russian republic.  

The authorities in the breakaway republics persistently claim shelling by Ukrainian forces, who in turn regularly deny firing artillery across the front lines.

On Saturday, the EU condemned the “use of heavy weaponry and indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas,” saying they constituted a “clear violation of the Minsk agreements and international humanitarian law.”

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at the Turkish Embassy in Dakar, Senegal on February 22.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to recognize breakaway eastern Ukrainian territories, calling it “unacceptable.”

“Russia’s decision to recognize the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk Republics is contrary to the Minsk Agreements,” Erdogan told reporters during a trip to Senegal on Tuesday.  

“It was emphasized that this decision constitutes a clear violation of Ukraine’s political unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.

“We consider this decision of Russia unacceptable,” Erdogan said.

The Turkish leader called on the parties to “respect common sense” and announced that Turkey is open to attending a summit proposal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Erdogan added that Turkey is taking precautions in case of an escalation in hostility around the Black Sea.

“Since we are a Black Sea country, many precautions must be taken,” he said.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street to address the House of Commons on February 22 in London, England.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has unveiled the “first tranche” of British sanctions on Russia, condemning Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine aggression and saying Europe must “brace ourselves” for his next steps.

Johnson told lawmakers that people “will struggle to understand or to contemplate how, in the year 2022, a national leader might calmly and deliberately plot the destruction of a peaceful neighbor.”

“Yet the evidence of his own words suggest that is exactly what President Putin is doing,” he said.

The UK will sanction five Russian banks and three “very high net worth” individuals, Johnson said in Parliament.

“What (Putin) is doing is going to be a disaster for Russia,” he said, predicting “pariah status” for the nation if it continues to further invade Ukraine.

Johnson’s predecessor as prime minister, Theresa May, told Parliament that Britain must defend “the right to democracy itself,” adding: “What lies behind this is a wider, worldwide trend of authoritarian states trying to impose their way of thinking on others.”

Earlier, Johnson’s spokesperson supported Germany’s move to halt certification of the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline. “Europe has to wean itself off Russian hydrocarbons,” the spokesperson told reporters, according to PA Media.

The White House will be imposing additional sanctions on Russia in the coming hours, a top Biden national security official said Tuesday, after Russia President Vladimir Putin recognized two pro-Moscow territories in Ukraine on Monday.

“The United States is going to have significant announcements of its own a bit later today, including sanctions that we will impose in response to what Russia did yesterday,” deputy national security adviser Jon Finer said during an appearance on MSNBC.

He also offered a little more detail on the additional sanctions announcements coming later Tuesday, suggesting that this could stop short of the severe sanctions the US has previewed, pending “further actions” by Russia.

“If Russia takes further actions, we will have further significant and severe consequences that we can impose via sanctions on Russia, in addition to the other elements of our response, including security assistance to the Ukrainians to help them defend themselves, and the force posture, troop movements that you have seen the United States take, in the coming days,” Finer said, adding that the US remains open to diplomacy.

For now, an entire array of sanctions against Russia is not expected because, “if you are going to deter [Putin] from taking Kyiv and the country — still a serious probability — you have to hold some threats of sanctions against that,” a senior administration official told CNN.

However, sanctions announced today are still expected to go further than the limited package, the White House announced on Monday.

A senior US official told CNN the cautious nature of Monday’s package was due, in part, to the need to consult with Europeans about their willingness to go further, and to gauge whether Russia’s actions Monday should trigger the full sanctions package the West has prepared in the event of an invasion.

US and European officials have been in intense discussions over the several past hours over how to proceed with additional sanctions against Russia for ordering troops into Ukraine, according to officials familiar with the matter.

The European Commission has also proposed sanctions to EU member states on Tuesday. The proposals will place sanctions on 27 persons and entities including political figures, propagandists, military personnel and financial entities who the EU deems to be linked to “illegal activities” in the regions. There will also be sanctions for the 351 Russian lawmakers who voted for the recognition and the 11 who proposed it – and the installation of Russian troops.

The Commission has placed a particular emphasis that would mirror sanctions taken in Crimea after the 2014 annexation by Moscow.

Nikolai Fyodorovich is one of the few men allowed to cross the border into Russia from the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic in eastern Ukraine. His age – he’s 59 – has spared him from the mobilization ordered by separatist leaders on Friday.

Nikolai Fyodorovich, who declined to give his full name, drove across the border at the Avilo-Uspenka crossing, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) from Donetsk’s capital, on Sunday.

He and his wife were taking their daughter-in-law and 4-year-old granddaughter to stay with relatives in Rostov-on-Don, and had stopped to eat lunch at a cafeteria established near the crossing by Russian emergency services.

Last Friday, the leaders of the Russian-backed self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk republics – which are not recognized by the West – ordered the mass evacuation of women, children and the elderly, while barring men aged 18 to 55 from leaving.

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the independence of the separatist regions and ordered troops into them on what the Kremlin called a “peacekeeping” mission.

The move marked a sharp escalation in Russia-Ukraine tensions that have been rising for months.

Nikolai Fyodorovich said that he and his wife did not plan to stay in Russia and would return home to Donetsk the same day instead.

“Everyone decides for themselves whether they want to leave or not, but we survived 2014,” he said, alluding to the de facto war that broke out in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine eight years ago between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces.

Read more below.

Russia's Emergency Services Ministry has set up tents near the Avilo-Uspenka border crossing.

Related article Donbas evacuees face uncertainty in southern Russia

The European Commission and European External Action Service have presented proposal sanctions to EU member states following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to recognize two Ukrainian regions as independent.

The proposals will place sanctions on 27 persons and entities including political figures, propagandists, military personnel and financial entities who the EU deems to be linked to “illegal activities” in the regions.

There will also be sanctions for the 351 Russian lawmakers who voted for the recognition and the 11 who proposed it – and the installation of Russian troops.

The Commission has placed a particular emphasis that would mirror sanctions taken in Crimea after the 2014 annexation by Moscow.

According to a senior EU diplomat who spoke with CNN on the condition of anonymity, most member states are on board but those with long-standing close ties to Moscow are making the bloc as a whole nervous that veto powers will be used.

The diplomat added that some member states are pushing for “incremental” implementation of sanctions, which is raising the question of whether they will duck putting in place the hardest parts of the proposed sanctions package.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addresses a joint press conference in Berlin.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has stopped the progression of the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline following Moscow’s actions in eastern Ukraine.

Scholz announced a halt to the certification of the pipeline from Russia while speaking alongside Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin in Berlin on Tuesday.

The pipeline, which would have increased European reliance on energy from Russia, has been a major source of contention in Europe and the United States for years.

“With regard to the latest developments, we need to reassess the situation also with regard to Nord Stream 2. It sounds very technocratic but it is the necessary administrative step in order to stop certification of the pipeline,” Scholz said.

Without undergoing the certification or approval process, the pipeline cannot start running. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has recognized two separatist territories in eastern Ukraine as independent states, ordering the deployment of Russian troops there following a major address Monday night.

For almost eight years, the breakaway regions have been the site of a low-intensity war between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces, which has left more than 14,000 people dead.

But Putin’s decision to send forces into the area has raised fears about a broader war in Ukraine. Here’s a look at how the conflict started.

What’s the recent history in Donbas?

War broke out in 2014 after Russian-backed rebels seized government buildings in towns and cities across eastern Ukraine. Intense fighting left portions of the Donbas region’s eastern Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts in the hands of Russian-backed separatists. Russia also annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 in a move that sparked global condemnation.

The separatist-controlled areas in Donbas became known as the Luhansk and the Donetsk People’s Republics. The Ukrainian government in Kyiv asserts the two regions are in effect Russian-occupied. The self-declared republics are not recognized by any government, other than Russia. The Ukrainian government refuses to talk directly with either separatist republic.

The Minsk II agreement of 2015 led to a shaky ceasefire agreement, and the conflict settled into static warfare along the Line of Contact that separates the Ukrainian government and separatist-controlled areas. The Minsk Agreements (named after the capital of Belarus where they were concluded) ban heavy weapons near the Line of Contact.

How has Russia stoked the conflict?

The separatists in Donbas have had substantial backing from Moscow. Russia has long maintained that it has no soldiers on the ground there, but US, NATO and Ukrainian officials say the Russian government supplies the separatists, provides them with advisory support and intelligence, and embeds its own officers in their ranks.

Moscow has also distributed hundreds of thousands of Russian passports to people in Donbas in recent years.

Western officials and observers have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of attempting to establish facts on the ground by naturalizing Ukrainians as Russian citizens, a de facto way of recognizing the breakaway states. It also gives him a reason to intervene in Ukraine.

Read our full explainer here:

Pro-Russian Serviceman observing the movement of Ukrainian troops from the advanced trenches of the people's militia of the Donetsk People's Republic in the Yasne village area, Donbas, Ukraine on February 11, 2022. Russia's parliament will vote on Tuesday to decide whether to ask President Vladimir Putin to recognize two Russian-backed breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as independent, the speaker of the Duma lower house said. Vyacheslav Volodin said lawmakers would consider two alternative resolutions on recognition of the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, in the area known as the Donbas, where separatist forces have been fighting the Ukrainian army since 2014. Photo by Svetlana Kisileva/Abaca/Sipa USA(Sipa via AP Images)

Related article Why Donbas is at the heart of the Ukraine crisis

Taiwan’s presidential spokeswoman said it was “encouraging” that UN ambassadors were rejecting Russia’s claims to Ukraine territory, saying she looked forward to the day “the world will equally reject” China’s claims over Taiwan. 

“Encouraging to see UN ambassadors reject Russian imperial claims over Ukraine, we in Taiwan look forward to the day when the world will equally reject China’s imperial claims over our country,” Kolas Yotaka tweeted from her verified Twitter account.

Earlier, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed “deep regret and condemnation” towards Russia after it ordered troops into two separatist pro-Moscow regions in eastern Ukraine. 

On Tuesday, China’s Foreign Ministry rebuffed parallels between Ukraine and Taiwan, calling it an “irrefutable historical and legal fact” that there is “only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory,” referring back to its “One-China” principle. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during a joint news briefing with Estonian President Alar Karis in Kyiv, Ukraine February 22.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday he believes “there will be no war” with Russia, but cautioned that Ukraine will be prepared should Russian military aggression against his country escalate further. 

 “With regards to being on a military footing, we understand there will be no war,” Zelensky said. 

“There will not be an all-out war against Ukraine, and there will not be a broad escalation from Russia. If there is, then we will put Ukraine on a war footing,” he added. 

Zelensky’s remarks come after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his decision to recognize the separatist-controlled Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic on Monday. 

The Ukrainian president described Russia’s actions as a form of “legal aggression” to create a “strong foundation” for possible further military escalation in the Russian-backed eastern breakaway regions. 

Speaking during a press conference in Kyiv, Zelensky said Russia’s actions amount to an “attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity” of Ukraine, but called for further dialogue between the two states.  

“We urge Russia, not for the first time, to resolve these issues through dialogue, to sit down at the negotiating table,” the Ukrainian president said. “We are ready to negotiate in any forum, and Russia knows this.”

Despite calls for diplomatic efforts to continue, Zelensky noted that he has received a request from the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry to consider breaking diplomatic relations with Russia. 

“I will be considering this, and not only this, but also the effective actions we can take with regards to the escalation by Russia,” he said. 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin attends a press conference in Beijing on December 2.

China’s Foreign Ministry evaded more than a dozen questions on Ukraine in its daily briefing on Tuesday, sticking closely in its responses to a statement released after Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. 

The 14 questions regarding Ukraine that were asked in the briefing included whether China recognized the independence of the two separatist pro-Moscow regions in eastern Ukraine and whether China would use its influence to prevent a “further incursion” into Ukraine’s territory. 

In his responses, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin reiterated that any country’s “legitimate security concerns should be respected” and urged all parties to “exercise restraint.”

He re-emphasized that China would contact all parties “based on the merits of the matter” and that the different sides should resolve their differences through dialogue and negotiation. 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had earlier expressed “concern” about the situation in Ukraine and said “legitimate security concerns of any country should be respected” during a phone call Blinken, according to a statement from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

But Wang Wenbin offered few words beyond that statement during the Tuesday briefing, in keeping with its reluctance to join Western condemnation of Russia in recent days. He was asked how China views potential sanctions against Russia and whether it would help Russia, to which he repeated that countries should exercise restraint and resolve differences through negotiation to “prevent further escalate the situation.”

Wang was also asked whether China sees parallels between Ukraine and Taiwan, to which he responded it is an “irrefutable historical and legal fact” that there is “only one China in the world and Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory,” referring back to its “One-China” principle. 

The China-Russia relationship: Beijing is navigating a complex position as it attempts to balance deepening ties with Moscow with its practiced foreign policy of staunchly defending state sovereignty.

Though not military allies, China and Russia have been presenting an increasingly united front in the face of what they view as Western interference into their respective affairs and regions.

Since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s extraordinary address on Monday evening, talk in Europe has turned to whether or not the European Union will maintain its hardline position on not-yet-public sanctions. 

The EU’s position matters because, until now, the West’s position in this crisis has been heavily coordinated.

NATO has led the military and political organization whereas the EU, the world’s largest economic union, has proposed a package of sanctions that would do serious damage to the Russian economy, Putin’s associates and undermine Moscow’s grip on the Russian sphere of influence. 

One NATO official told CNN last week that without the EU’s sanctions proposals “the Western response would unquestionably have been much weaker.”

But fears emerged on Monday night that the EU would put forward a less severe package in order to keep diplomatic options open and deescalate.

Putin’s decision to send troops into two separatist pro-Moscow regions in eastern Ukraine, and recognize them as independent, has put the West in a very difficult position as it determines whether or not what happened on Monday counts as a full invasion or not. 

According to a senior EU diplomat, thinking as of Tuesday morning is that the West needs to take severe action against Putin for his most recent actions, but keep the option open to go further should Putin escalate again. 

“They’re looking at a package of sanctions that is still under the remit of the 2014 sanctions package,’ after Russia annexed Crimea, the diplomat explained.

They said that all of this was being done in full coordination with the US and UK, but that “keeping a lot of sticks in our back pocket makes sense.” 

The diplomat added that the “package presented today needs to be heavy enough to really hurt but to keep the package with massive consequences and costs available in the case of escalation.”

However, they admitted that we are not likely to see the new, maximum damage sanctions package in response to Putin’s most recent aggression. 

The UK is also expected to put forward a sanctions package today and has publicly taken a very firm line against Putin. 

Obviously, things are fluid and subject to change, not least because no one knows what Putin’s next move will be. However, the Russian president’s surprise move on Monday has put the Western alliance in a difficult position of not knowing how far to go in response.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a document recognizing the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine on February 21 in Moscow, Russia.

Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Tuesday Russian President Vladimir Putin has “shown his true face,” accusing him of wanting to “hold the free world hostage.”

In a statement addressed directly to members of Ukraine’s armed forces, Reznikov said “the Kremlin has taken another step towards the revival of the Soviet Union.” 

“The darkness of uncertainty has fallen. What you have known for eight years, the whole world has now seen,” he said in the statement posted on the ministry’s website. 

Reznikov accused the Russian president of “waging a vile war all these years, hiding behind women and children.”

Putin delivered a lengthy televised address on Monday evening, announcing his decision to recognize the independence of separatist-held parts of eastern Ukraine and ordering Russian forces to be sent in.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday that by recognizing the “quasi-entities it had created” in Donetsk and Luhansk, Russia “has blatantly defied the fundamental norms and principles of international law.”

The ministry said Russia had “violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders,” and urged the international community to apply sanctions.

The ministry condemned the move in their Tuesday statement, saying it “sharply escalates the situation and can mean the Russian Federation’s unilateral withdrawal from the Minsk agreements,” the 2015 pact that established a shaky ceasefire in the region and banned heavy weapons near the Line of Contact.

The statement also urged the West to apply heavy financial pressure on Russia to prevent further aggression.

“The Russian Federation’s next decisions and moves depend greatly on global reactions to today’s developments. We therefore insist on application against Russia of harsh sanctions to send a clear signal of inadmissibility of further escalation,” the ministry said. “The time has come to act in order to stop Russian aggression and restore peace and stability in Europe.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian speaks at an event in Paris, France, on February 22. 

The European Union will impose sanctions on Moscow following the “unacceptable” entry of Russian troops into the Donbas region of Ukraine, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Tuesday.

“It’s a violation of international law, it’s an attack on the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine, it’s Russia renouncing its international commitments and the Minsk accords that it had signed,” Le Drian said. “So the situation is very serious.”

He added that European leaders had three messages to convey — taking a firm stance against Russia’s actions, showing solidarity with Ukraine, and showing unity in Europe.

EU High Representative Joseph Borrell said Tuesday morning that he had called an emergency informal meeting of EU foreign ministers to discuss Ukraine following a planned summit.

European markets have fallen sharply in the opening minutes of trade as the crisis in Ukraine intensifies. The German Dax and the French Cac 40 were both trading around 2% lower in early trade, while the UK FTSE 100 was around 1% down. 

The falls follow a sharp sell-off in Asian markets on Tuesday. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 1.9%, and Korea’s Kospi lost 1.4%.

China’s Shanghai Composite and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 were both down more than 1%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 3.2%, poised to post the biggest daily loss in five months. New concerns over China’s tech crackdown further dented the sentiment in Asia.

The plunge in Asia was preceded by a similar drop for US stock futures earlier on Monday evening local time. Dow futures were down 458 points, or 1.4%. S&P 500 futures were down about 2.3%, while Nasdaq futures were down 3.3%.

High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell attends the Indo-Pacific Ministerial Cooperation Forum as part of the French EU Council Presidency in Paris, France, on February 22.

The European Union will decide on what sanctions to impose on Russia “this afternoon,” EU High Representative Joseph Borrell told reporters on Tuesday.

Borrell said he has called for an emergency informal meeting of European Union foreign ministers this afternoon to discuss the European response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ordering Russian troops into two separatist pro-Moscow regions in eastern Ukraine after recognizing their independence on Monday.

“I wouldn’t say that this is a fully-fledged invasion but Russian troops are on Ukrainian soil,” he added. 

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed “concern” about the situation in Ukraine in a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, according to a statement Tuesday from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“The purposes and principles of the UN Charter should be upheld,” Wang said, adding that the situation in Ukraine is “closely related to the delay” in implementing the Minsk agreement, referring to a 2015 set of protocols designed to end conflict in eastern Ukraine but which have never been been fully implemented.

China urged all parties to “exercise restraint, recognize the importance of implementing the principle of indivisible security, ease the situation and resolve differences through dialogue and negotiation,” Wang said, according to the statement.

He added that China will continue its contact with “all parties based on the merits of the matter.”

The China-Russia friendship: Beijing is navigating a complex position as it attempts to balance deepening ties with Moscow with its practiced foreign policy of staunchly defending state sovereignty.

Though not military allies, China and Russia have been presenting an increasingly united front in the face of what they view as Western interference into their respective affairs and regions.

Read more:

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping meeting in Beijing on February 4, 2022.

Related article As the West condemns Russia over Ukraine, Beijing strikes a different tone

Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov holds a briefing in Kyiv on Feb. 3.

Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov said early Tuesday that “we remain confident and calm,” following Russia’s move to order troops into two separatist pro-Moscow regions in eastern Ukraine.

In a tweet early Tuesday on his official account, Reznikov added that by recognizing the two regions as independent on Monday, the “Kremlin recognized its own aggression against Ukraine.”

In a statement Monday, Finland President Sauli Niinistö condemned Russia’s move to order troops into two separatist-held pro-Moscow regions of eastern Ukraine.

Russia’s actions “violate Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said the statement from the president’s office, adding that it marked “a serious breach of the Minsk agreements.”

What is the Minsk agreement? The 2015 agreement was hammered out in the Belarusian capital in a bid to end what was then a bloody 10-month conflict in eastern Ukraine. It led to a shaky ceasefire, and the conflict settled into static warfare along the Line of Contact that separates the Ukrainian government and separatist-controlled areas.

The agreement bans heavy weapons near the Line of Contact – but it was never fully implemented and key issues remain unresolved.

President of the European Council Charles Michel speaks at the Munich Security Conference on Feb. 20.

European Council President Charles Michel said early Tuesday that he spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and reiterated “the EU’s full solidarity with Ukraine.”

Russia’s recognition of two separatist pro-Moscow regions in Ukraine and its order for troops to enter those areas is “an attack against international law and the rules-based international order,” Michel said in a tweet.

He added that the European Union “firmly and fully supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity.”

In an earlier tweet on Monday, Michel had asserted that the EU and its partners would “react with unity, firmness and determination in solidarity.”

Estonia and Latvia have condemned Russia’s move to recognize pro-Moscow regions of Ukraine and order its troops there.

“Moscow is not serious about diplomacy,” tweeted Estonian President Alar Karis from his official account on Monday.

He warned that Russia was looking for reasons to provoke or justify a war, adding that “Estonia will never accept the illegal decision by Russia to recognize Donetsk and Luhansk regions.”

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas described Russia’s actions as a “grave attack on Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity” in a Facebook post and called for the EU to impose sanctions.

Latvia’s leaders spoke out as well, with President Egils Levits calling Russia’s actions “a gross violation of norms of international law” in a tweet Monday. He, too, called for “immediate sanctions” from the EU against Russia.

A statement from the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared the country’s “unwavering support for Ukraine’s freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Kenya’s ambassador to the UN condemned Russia’s actions at the emergency United Nations Security Council meeting on Monday, highlighting the legacy of imperialism and colonialism in Africa.

He added that while it is understandable for states formed from collapsed empires to yearn for “integration with peoples in neighboring states,” such a yearning must never be “pursued by force.”

“Multiculturalism lies on its deathbed tonight,” he concluded, reiterating Kenya’s support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed “deep regret and condemnation” towards Russia after it ordered troops into two separatist pro-Moscow regions in eastern Ukraine on Monday.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou told reporters on Tuesday that Russia’s actions have violated the United Nations Charter and undermined efforts by the international community to seek a peaceful solution to the crisis. 

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs once again calls on all parties to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and opposes unilateral changes to the status quo by force or coercion,” she said.

Yet again, the world is hanging on what Russian President Vladimir Putin does next.

But the omens, after his grievance-filled televised vent against Ukraine, the West and the indignities of history on Monday, are very, very dark.

Putin significantly escalated his showdown with the US and its allies, signing decrees recognizing two regions of eastern Ukraine seized by Russian-backed rebels. At the stroke of a pen, Putin sliced off two more pieces of an independent, sovereign nation to add to his seizure of Crimea in 2014.

Moscow said it would send what it called “peacekeepers” to the regions. Its euphemism notwithstanding, US officials fear that the force could be the vanguard of the full invasion mobilization they have predicted for days.

As bad as this latest round of gangster geopolitics is, what unfolds in the coming hours and days will set the world’s course in the years ahead.

What could come next: If Putin were to stop here, it is possible that the Ukraine crisis could be contained, and even give the Russian President an opening to deescalate the situation and desist from a full invasion of the entire country after pocketing new territory in his quest to prevent Ukraine from moving toward the West.

Such a step back — perhaps designed to divide the US from less hawkish allies — might avoid a wider global crisis. In the US, this interim scenario might also spare Americans a damaging new spike in gasoline prices and inflation and allow President Joe Biden to escape another blow to his credibility in a tough midterm election year.

Unfortunately, however, the evidence of Putin’s own furious rhetoric on Monday, the presence of up to 190,000 Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders and most assessments of US leaders and intelligence officials suggest hopes for a limited conflict are wishful thinking.

In his speech from the Kremlin, Putin made clear that he sees Ukraine as indistinguishable from Russia and not an independent entity — hardly an argument that suggests restraint. In fact, his screed came across as a justification for a far larger venture than a limited incursion into the east of the country.

Read the full analysis:

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting with members of the Security Council in Moscow on February 21, 2022. - President Vladimir Putin said on February 21, 2022, he would make a decision "today" on recognising the independence of east Ukraine's rebel republics, after Russia's top officials made impassioned speeches in favour of the move. (Photo by Alexey NIKOLSKY / Sputnik / AFP) (Photo by ALEXEY NIKOLSKY/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)

Related article Analysis: The world holds its breath for Putin's next move

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba over the phone on Monday, ahead of Kuleba’s trip to Washington, DC, on Tuesday.

On the call, Blinken “noted our swift response” to Russia’s decision to recognize the pro-Moscow regions in eastern Ukraine, said a statement from State Department spokesperson Ned Price.

The two top officials discussed the measures the US announced Monday, as well as “additional steps,” said the statement.

Kuleba will meet with Blinken in Washington, then head to New York on Wednesday to address the UN General Assembly, according to the Ukrainian foreign minister’s official website.

At an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Monday, the Ukraine ambassador to the UN condemned Russia’s decision to recognize pro-Moscow regions of Ukraine as “illegal and illegitimate.”

“Today the entire membership of the United Nations is under attack,” said Sergiy Kyslytsya. “The internationally recognized borders of Ukraine have been and will remain unchangeable, regardless of any actions and statements by the Russian federation.

What is the Minsk agreement? The 2015 agreement was hammered out in the Belarusian capital in a bid to end what was then a bloody 10-month conflict in eastern Ukraine. It led to a shaky ceasefire, and and the conflict settled into static warfare along the Line of Contact that separates the Ukrainian government and separatist-controlled areas.

The agreements ban heavy weapons near the Line of Contact – but it was never fully implemented and key issues remain unresolved.

Call for UN action: At the Monday meeting, Kyslytsya called for other nations to take action. “It is critical to see now who is our true friend and partner, who is on the side of the UN charter, and who will continue to deter Russia by words only,” he said.

He called for Russia to withdraw its troops from the region and cancel its recognition of the two pro-Moscow regions of Ukraine, before echoing the words spoken earlier in the day by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: “We are on our land. We are not afraid of anything or anyone. We owe nothing to anyone. And we will not give away anything to anyone.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the nation early on Tuesday saying “we don’t owe anything to anyone, and we will not give away anything to anyone” following Russia’s recent actions.

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered what he called “peacekeeping” troops into two pro-Moscow regions of eastern Ukraine, after recognizing their independence. 

Zelensky added that Ukraine’s international borders will “remain as such” despite Russia’s “declarations and threats,” and he said Ukraine counted on the “clear and effective steps” from its international supporters.

He said Ukraine had initiated an emergency meeting with the Normandy Four, which include Germany, Russia, Ukraine and France.

He warned that Putin’s latest move undermined current “peaceful” negotiations and “may mean a one-sided exit of Russian Federation out of the Minsk Agreement and ignoring of Normandy agreement.”

Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine wanted “peace” though had been prepared for a Russian act of aggression for a “long time.”

To Ukrainian citizens, he said Ukraine would deal with the crisis calmly and confidently, and he thanked the entire nation for their cool-headed reaction to the latest developments. He assured citizens there was no reason for a “sleepless night.”

President Biden delivers remarks on Russia and Ukraine from the White House on Feb. 18.

President Joe Biden plans to impose new sanctions on trade and financing in the two pro-Moscow territories in Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to recognize as independent on Monday.

In a statement, the White House said Biden would sign an executive order that would “prohibit new investment, trade, and financing by US persons to, from, or in the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine.”

Putin signed decrees recognizing the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic Monday in a ceremony carried on state television earlier on Monday.

Biden’s executive order will also allow the US to impose sanctions on anyone operating in those areas. And the White House said it would “soon announce additional measures related to today’s blatant violation of Russia’s international commitments.”

“To be clear: these measures are separate from and would be in addition to the swift and severe economic measures we have been preparing in coordination with Allies and partners should Russia further invade Ukraine,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki wrote in a statement.

The US response followed a lengthy speech from Putin Monday attacking both Ukraine and the West and his signing of the decrees recognizing the two controversial separatist-held regions.

Read more.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing two controversial separatist-held regions, the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic, Monday in a ceremony carried on state television.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has previously promised “a swift and firm response” from the US and allies and partners if Russia moves to recognize Ukraine’s breakaway regions as part of Russian territory, calling such a move a “gross violation of international law.”

Here’s why the recognition of the separatist-held regions is significant:

War broke out in 2014 after Russian-backed rebels seized government buildings in towns and cities across eastern Ukraine. Intense fighting left portions of the Donbas region’s eastern Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts in the hands of Russian-backed separatists. Russia also annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 in a move that sparked global condemnation.

The separatist-controlled areas in Donbas became known as the Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) and the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). The Ukrainian government in Kyiv asserts the two regions are in effect Russian-occupied. The self-declared republics are not recognized by any government, including Russia until Monday. The Ukrainian government refuses to talk directly with either separatist republic.

The Minsk II agreement of 2015 led to a shaky ceasefire agreement, and the conflict settled into static warfare along the Line of Contact that separates the Ukrainian government and separatist-controlled areas. The Minsk Agreements (named after the capital of Belarus where they were concluded) ban heavy weapons near the Line of Contact.

Language around the conflict is heavily politicized. The Ukrainian government calls separatist forces “invaders” and “occupiers.” Russian media calls separatist forces “militias” and maintains that they are locals defending themselves against the Kyiv government.

More than 14,000 people have died in the conflict in Donbas since 2014. Ukraine says 1.5 million people have been forced to flee their homes, with most staying in the areas of Donbas that remain under Ukrainian control and about 200,000 resettling in the wider Kyiv region.