At an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, the US Envoy Linda Thomas-Greenfield Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin’s claim that the Russian troops sent to eastern Ukraine were peacekeeping troops as “nonsense”. Putin’s recognition of the separatist areas is an attempt to create a pretext for another invasion of Ukraine. His move “tore the Minsk Agreement to pieces.”
In the face of a possible war with Russia, the Ukraine the resistance before the United Nations. “We will stand firm. We are on our own ground. We are not afraid of anything or anyone. We do not owe anyone anything and we do not give anything to anyone,” Ukrainian ambassador to the UN Serhiy Kyslytsia told the UN Security Council. It’s “not February 2014. It’s February 2022,” he said, referring to Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
the German UN Ambassador Antje Leendertse stated before the meeting that Russia had revealed its true intentions in the region. “Russia has repeatedly insisted that it is not involved in the (Ukraine) conflict. Today it exposed itself and showed that it always was,” she said. Together with its allies, Germany will take “decisive and appropriate measures” to respond to Russia’s violation of international law. This will have serious economic, political and geostrategic consequences.
“We need a diplomatic solution,” he said French UN ambassador Nicolas de Rivière before the UN Security Council meeting. French President Emmanuel Macron will work for this “in the coming hours, in the coming days”. However, the deployment order is a violation of the UN Charter.
China before the special session of the Security Council, called on all those involved in the Ukraine conflict to exercise restraint. “All parties concerned must exercise restraint and avoid anything that could fuel tensions,” said Chinese Ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun. “We believe that all countries resolve international disputes through peaceful means in line with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter should.”
Russia threatened Ukraine with further consequences. Kiev allegedly has “military plans” and would shell and provoke Luhansk and Donetsk. After Moscow’s recognition, this could have “extremely dangerous consequences,” Russian ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebensya told the UN Security Council. “We do not intend to allow another bloodbath in Donbass.”
The ambassador blamed the Ukrainian leadership for the escalation. Kiev’s refusal to negotiate directly with the separatists showed that the government did not want to fulfill the Minsk agreement. In order to avoid war, Ukraine must now be forced to end the alleged provocations. (02/22/2022)
Biden orders first sanctions against Russia
According to the Washington Presidential Office, US President Joe Biden signed a decree on Monday prohibiting business in or with the two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine recognized by Russia. This will ban all Americans from making new investments in the territories, regardless of their location, the White House said. In addition, imports from the regions would be prohibited.
In consultation with its allies, the United States plans to impose further sanctions on Russia on Tuesday, a White House spokesman said. However, US President Joe Biden still has no intention of sending American forces into Ukraine.
The US has not yet classified the deployment of Russian troops in the breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine as an invasion that would trigger a comprehensive package of sanctions. It’s just about areas “that they’ve already occupied,” a US government official said in a conference call with reporters. Russia has had troops in the Donbass for eight years and “is just doing it in a more obvious way now. But we have no illusions about what will come next”.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba plans to meet Blinken in Washington on Wednesday to discuss the worsening of the crisis in Ukraine. “Given the dynamics of the situation, I had another conversation with Blinken ahead of our meeting in Washington, DC tomorrow,” writes Kuleba on Twitter. The main topic is sanctions against Russia.
According to Washington government circles, Biden’s agreement in principle to meet with Putin is wavering. The United States would continue to pursue diplomacy “until the tanks roll,” it said. According to Blinken, the US embassy staff in Ukraine will be relocated from Lviv to Poland for one night for security reasons. (02/22/2022)
Zelensky expects “clear and effective steps of support”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has reacted cautiously to Russia’s recognition of the “people’s republics” in eastern Ukraine as independent states. “We are loyal to the peaceful and diplomatic path and will only go this way,” Zelensky said in a speech on Tuesday night. At the same time, the 44-year-old emphasized: “Recognition of the independence of the occupied districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions can mean unilateral withdrawal from the Minsk agreements.” Kiev will not react to provocations – but will not give up any territory either.
He expects “clear and effective steps of support” from Ukraine’s partners, said the Ukrainian head of state. Now it will become clear who is a “real friend and partner” – and who only wants to continue to scare Russia with words. Kiev only has one dream: “Peace in Ukraine.” Zelensky said: “There are no reasons for chaotic actions now.” There is no reason to have sleepless nights. (02/22/2022)
Mild criticism from Turkey of Russia
Turkey has criticized Russia’s recognition of breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as unacceptable. In doing so, Russia violated not only the Minsk Agreement, but also the political unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry said in Ankara. The government calls on all parties to the conflict to respect international law.
NATO member Turkey has sea borders in the Black Sea with both Russia and Ukraine, maintains good relations with both neighbors and has offered mediation. Turkey has warned Russia against invading Ukraine while rejecting sanctions against Russia. (02/22/2022)
Putin orders troops to be sent to eastern Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered troops to be sent to eastern Ukraine. According to the Russian representation, the units should ensure peace in the “People’s Republics of Luhansk and Donetsk,” which Moscow now recognizes as independent states, according to a decree signed by the head of the Kremlin in Moscow on Monday.
In addition, Putin instructed the Foreign Ministry to establish diplomatic relations with the two regions that belong to Ukraine under international law. Putin had previously recognized the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states. (02/21/2022)
Hectic telephone diplomacy after Putin’s speech
The EU will respond with sanctions to Russia’s decision to recognize the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states. The punitive measures should hit those who were involved in the action, said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel. Several EU countries are calling for immediate sanctions.
According to the Washington Presidential Office, US President Joe Biden will soon sign a decree prohibiting transactions in or with the two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine recognized by Russia. A spokeswoman said further measures would follow. These are independent of sanctions that the USA and its allies have prepared in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
According to a spokeswoman, Biden has meanwhile spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on the phone. He also spoke to Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron. Steffen Hebestreit, spokesman for the federal government, said afterwards that all three interlocutors agreed “that this unilateral step by Russia is a clear breach of the Minsk Agreement”. Putin’s actions will not go unanswered. They will not relax in guaranteeing the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. At the same time, every effort will be made to prevent the situation from escalating further. (02/21/2022)
Putin makes televised speech and threatens war
In a speech to the nation, Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on the two Ukrainian provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk, which are ruled by Russian separatists. The separatists asked Putin on Monday to recognize the two regions as independent. He has now done so by decree – and created legitimation for himself to invade the areas with the Russian army.
His approximately one-hour televised speech, which is broadcast on Russian state television and which observers describe as enraptured, is a sweeping attack against Ukraine, against NATO and the EU, against the West as a whole. He often makes historical references, for example when he denied Ukraine’s right to exist as an independent state. Ukraine has never had its own state tradition. The country has never managed to create a stable state, says Putin. That’s why it had to rely on other countries like the United States. The Ukrainian authorities are tainted with nationalism and corruption, and the country is in the hands of oligarchic clans.
Putin threatens Ukraine with little covert violence. If the “combat operations” by the government in Kiev in the east of the country are not stopped, then Russia will defend itself and shoot back. He is confident that the Russian population will support his decision, he explains.
Putin also accuses Ukraine of pursuing nuclear weapons. This is tantamount to preparing for an attack on Russia and cannot be ignored, says Putin. Ukraine has the nuclear know-how from the Soviet era. If the country comes into possession of weapons of mass destruction, the global situation will change drastically. In addition, a mass crime against the Russian people is taking place in eastern Ukraine. Four million people are affected. “The so-called civilized world prefers to ignore the genocide committed by Kiev in the Donbass,” says Putin.
NATO has deceived Russia for years, according to Putin. When Germany was reunited in Soviet times, his country was promised that NATO would not expand a bit to the east, according to the Kremlin boss. “They betrayed us,” says Putin, accusing the Western alliance of having already pushed through five waves of eastward expansion — and treating Russia like an enemy. The western military alliance has set out to weaken Russia as the largest country by area and has ignored all warnings. According to Putin, the Western defense bloc has moved its military infrastructure closer and closer to Russia’s borders, “spitting” on Moscow’s concerns. (02/21/2022)