Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered forces to "keep peace" in separatist areas of jap Ukraine in an additional escalation of tensions that adopted the Kremlin's recognition of the areas' independence regardless of warnings of sanctions and worldwide condemnation.
The Kremlin decree, spelled out in an order signed by Mr Putin, left unclear when, and even whether or not, troops would enter Ukraine.
But it surely additional fuelled fears of an imminent invasion and underscored the steep challenges the US and Western nations face in staving off a army battle they've portrayed as near-inevitable.
The Kremlin's announcement got here simply hours after Mr Putin, in a rambling, fact-bending discourse on European historical past, recognised the independence of the jap separatist areas, paving the best way to offer them army help and antagonising Western leaders who regard such a transfer as an unjust breach of world order.
US and allies reply with sanctions
The US expects Russian troops may transfer inside hours into Donbas for his or her so-called "peacekeeping" mission, in keeping with a senior US official acquainted with newest intelligence.
The US remains to be seeing preparations for a possible broadening operation together with loading amphibious ships and loading tools for airborne items.
US President Biden plans to impose new restrictions on commerce and financing within the two pro-Moscow territories that Mr Putin determined to recognise as unbiased.
In an announcement, the White Home mentioned Mr Biden would signal an government order that might "prohibit new funding, commerce, and financing by US individuals to, from, or within the so-called DNR and LNR areas of Ukraine."
The order would additionally enable the US to impose sanctions on anybody working in these areas. And the White Home mentioned it might "quickly announce further measures associated to at this time's blatant violation of Russia's worldwide commitments."
"To be clear: these measures are separate from and can be along with the swift and extreme financial measures we now have been getting ready in coordination with Allies and companions ought to Russia additional invade Ukraine," White Home press secretary Jen Psaki wrote in an announcement.
In a joint assertion, European Union Fee President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel referred to as it "a blatant violation of worldwide regulation" and mentioned, with out elaborating, that the bloc "will react with sanctions." Leaders of France and different nations condemned the transfer as nicely.
The developments got here amid a spike in skirmishes within the jap areas that Western powers imagine Russia may use as a pretext for an assault on the western-looking democracy that has defied Moscow's makes an attempt to tug it again into its orbit.
Ukraine surrounded on three sides
With an estimated 150,000 Russian troops massed on three sides of Ukraine, the US has warned that Moscow has already determined to invade.
Nonetheless, Mr Biden and Mr Putin tentatively agreed to a gathering brokered by French President Emmanuel Macron in a last-ditch effort to keep away from battle.
If Russia strikes in, the assembly will probably be off, however the prospect of a face-to-face summit resuscitated hopes in diplomacy to stop a battle that would trigger large casualties and big financial injury throughout Europe, which is closely depending on Russian power.
Russia mentioned it desires Western ensures that NATO will not enable Ukraine and different former Soviet international locations to affix as members — and Mr Putin mentioned Monday that a easy moratorium on Ukraine's accession would not be sufficient.
Moscow has additionally demanded the alliance halt weapons deployments to Ukraine and roll again its forces from Japanese Europe — calls for flatly rejected by the West.
Putin blames NATO
Mr Putin justified his determination in a far-reaching, pre-recorded speech blaming NATO for the present disaster and calling the US-led alliance an existential menace to Russia.
Sweeping by greater than a century of historical past, he painted at this time's Ukraine as a contemporary assemble that's inextricably linked to Russia. He charged that Ukraine had inherited Russia's historic lands and after the Soviet collapse was utilized by the West to include Russia.
"I contemplate it essential to take a long-overdue determination: To right away recognise the independence and sovereignty of Donetsk Folks's Republic and Luhansk Folks's Republic," Mr Putin mentioned.
Afterward he signed decrees recognising the Donetsk and Luhansk areas' independence, eight years after combating erupted between Russia-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces, and referred to as on legislators to approve measures paving the best way for army help.
Till now, Ukraine and the West have accused Russia of supporting the separatists, however Moscow has denied that, saying that Russians who fought there have been volunteers.
Earlier, Mr Putin signed decrees recognising the independence of Moscow-backed breakaway areas in jap Ukraine on Monday, in a brazen repudiation of worldwide diplomatic efforts to discover a peaceable answer to the disaster.
In a fiery speech on Monday evening, Putin blasted Kyiv's rising safety ties with the West, and in prolonged remarks concerning the historical past of the USSR and the formation of the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic, appeared to forged doubt on Ukraine's proper to self-determination.
The remarks additional stoked fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, which US Nationwide Safety Adviser Jake Sullivan mentioned on Monday may start inside "hours or days".
The printed aired simply hours after the White Home introduced that US President Joe Biden agreed "in precept" to French-brokered talks with Putin so long as Russia doesn't additional invade Ukraine.
The Kremlin mentioned earlier on Monday that there have been "no concrete plans" for a gathering.
Talking about the potential for talks with Biden, Putin - who held two prolonged telephone calls with the French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday - hinted he was sceptical.
"Yesterday I spoke with the French President on two events, with the second name lasting till 2am or so," Putin mentioned.
"He assured me that the American place has modified considerably. However after I requested what these modifications are, he, sadly, couldn't say."
He then referred to remarks made on Sunday by Blinken, who burdened as soon as once more that the difficulty of Ukraine's membership in NATO is "a difficulty for Ukraine and for NATO".
Assurances that Ukraine wouldn't be admitted to NATO sooner or later are one of many central calls for made by the Kremlin.
Along with his prime officers assembled in entrance of him on the extraordinary assembly of the safety council, Putin appeared following claims made by the Russian army earlier on Monday that troops and border guards engaged in a conflict with a "sabotage and reconnaissance group from the territory of Ukraine" inside Russian territory.
"Russia has at all times tried to resolve all conflicts by peaceable means. Nonetheless, the Kyiv authorities carried out two punitive operations in these territories [Donetsk and Luhansk], and it appears that evidently we are actually witnessing an escalation for the third time," Putin mentioned, with out additional elaborating or offering specifics.
CNN has not independently verified experiences of a conflict inside Russia's territory.
Ukrainian Overseas Minister Dmytro Kuleba denied a conflict occurred, saying on Twitter: "I categorically refute the disinformation of the Russian Federation."
Kuleba mentioned Ukraine "didn't assault Donetsk, Luhansk, didn't ship saboteurs or armoured personnel carriers throughout the border, didn't hearth on the territory of the Russian Federation or the checkpoint on the border, didn't commit sabotage, doesn't plan such actions."
The rise in combative language from Putin got here as tensions grew as soon as once more in jap Ukraine.
Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation mentioned it recorded 32 ceasefire violations as of 4pm native time, a quantity that was roughly in step with these over the weekend.
New satellite tv for pc photos confirmed intensified exercise amongst Russian items near Ukraine's north-eastern border and the Ukrainian Defence Ministry mentioned it recorded dozens of ceasefire violations on Sunday.
Defence minister Oleksii Reznikov mentioned on Monday that Ukraine was not seeing any withdrawal of Russian forces from positions near the border.
And in an additional escalation, Belarusian officers introduced on Sunday that joint Russian army workouts in Belarus that have been slated to finish over the weekend would proceed, implying that Russian forces could prolong their keep.