Last night Putin went to the facts, on live TV he recognized the independence of the two separatist republics of Lugansk e Donetsk, by signing a decree and two collaboration treaties. Late at night the first Russian armored vehicles entered Donetsk, as a peacekeeping force, or to defend pro-Russian citizens from reprisals by the Ukrainians. Any military action against these two republics just annexed to Russia will provoke a powerful military reaction, thus starting the real invasion of Ukraine. In fact, the more than 150 men close to the borders remain in a state of maximum alert, as well as the military ships positioned in the Black Sea.
The president of the United States, Joe Biden, had a conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and with the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, to discuss with the other two leaders on the latest developments in Ukraine. This was announced by the White House.
United States Secretary of State Antony blinken he did not cancel his Thursday meeting with the Russian foreign minister Lavrov (preparatory to the meeting between Biden and Putin). CNN reports, citing two US State Department officials - although senior officials have been debating this decision all day. Biden administration officials said they are going to watch Russia closely overnight and prepare a meaningful response later today. Part of this response could include a decision on the meeting in Geneva, as the United States has already said it will not happen if Russia further invades Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration avoids talking about Russia's 'invasion' of Ukraine and draws criticism. The fact that “Russian troops are moving into the Donbass is not a new step. Russia has had its forces in the Donbass for eight years, ”a White House official pointed out. "Russia has occupied these areas since 2014", he added. However, many disagree with the description of the White House. "Russia is invading Ukraine right nowSaid former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul.
The French president Emmanuel Macron condemned Russia's decision to recognize the independence of the Donbass republics, calling for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. The Elysée made it known in a statement in which it also asked for the launch of European sanctions.
"My government condemns the violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine by Russia in the strongest possible terms". The German ambassador to the UN, Antje Leendertse, said during the emergency meeting of the Security Council, underlining that the violation of Moscow will have "serious economic, political and strategic consequences".
Ukraine's borders remain "immutable" regardless of Russia's recent actions, Kiev's ambassador to the UN told the Security Council. Sergiy Kyslytsya"The internationally recognized borders of Ukraine have been and will remain immutable regardless of any declaration and action by the Russian federation ”.
Russia is not closing the door to "diplomacy" to resolve the crisis in Ukraine but will prevent a "bloodbath" in the separatist territories of the east of the country whose independence Moscow has just recognized, the Russian ambassador assured. United Nations Vasily Nebenzia"We remain open to diplomacy, for a diplomatic solution. However, we have no intention of allowing a bloodbath in the Donbass ”.
Il German foreign ministry condemned the Russian recognition of the two separatist republics in Ukraine, speaking of a "hard blow" to diplomatic efforts and a "violation of international law". The efforts of the meetings of the Normandy Format and the OSCE "have been deliberately destroyed for no reasonable reason", Continues the statement, which condemns in the most decisive terms"the new violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine". "Germany is firmly on the side of Ukraine, with its internationally recognized borders. We will respond to this violation of international law. We are coordinated with our partners", Says Berlin, urging Moscow"to back off and return to diplomatic and political resolution of conflicts ".
Putin's live TV
Putin spoke for almost an hour, arguing that the Ukrainian state is a fiction: "The Donbass was practically forcibly annexed to Ukraine by Lenin's collaborators". In the last thirty years, Ukraine has survived thanks to the help of its brother country, “with subsidized energy prices and more and until 2013 with subsidies of 250 billion dollars. And today the country would be nothing more than an entity at the service of the Americans, led by rulers who have only thought about getting rich. It is from Ukraine that NATO could attack Russia in the near future, Putin argues.
From Kharkiv, NATO missiles could reach Moscow in seven minutes. With hypersonic vectors in four. The whole of European Russia would be under fire. Putin on the sanctions of the West makes it clear that his country will be able to go ahead anyway and that it will react with adequate countermeasures. He then claimed that previous sanctions had been passed for no reason, as if the West had not responded to the unilateral annexation of Crimea and other Moscow initiatives.