Russian President Vladimir Putin crosses the line over Ukraine
Vladimir Putin is pushing the Ukraine crisis to the brink of war and threatening global security after ordering tanks and troops into in eastern regions and proclaiming their independence.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered tanks and troops into Ukraine’s breakaway eastern regions after proclaiming their independence, pushing the crisis to the brink of war and threatening global security.
The Russian designation of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states and deployment of a “peacekeeping” force came in a 65-minute televised national address in which Mr Putin laid claim to Ukraine as a country “created” by Russia.
Mr Putin used his address to accuse Ukraine of becoming a failed state and “puppet” of the West, as the Russian leader sent troops into the Moscow-backed territories in defiance of US and European warnings. He accused authorities in Kyiv of persecuting Russian speakers and of preparing a “blitzkrieg” against the separatist regions, which he vowed to protect with Russian forces.
The move, seen as a prelude to a full-scale invasion, rattled global markets, pushing up crude oil prices by more than 2 per cent to a 6½-year high, and driving Australian shares down 1 per cent to a two-week low.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne urged all Australians in Ukraine to leave immediately. “Do not delay,’’ she said.
UK government officials declared “the invasion of Ukraine has begun’’ as videos circulated on the internet appearing to show Russian military vehicles in Donetsk and Luhansk.
UK health secretary Sajid Javid said: “We are waking up to a very dark day in Europe. It‘s clear from what we have already seen and found out today that Russia’s President Putin has decided to attack the sovereignty of Ukraine and its territorial integrity.
“You can conclude that the invasion of Ukraine has begun.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned Russia that a decision to halt the Nord Stream 2 — the controversial gas pipeline between the two countries – was only one “concrete” step and that further sanctions could follow.
“There are also other sanctions that we can introduce if further measures are taken, but for now, it’s a matter of doing something very concrete,” he said late on Tuesday.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken decried the recognition of the two territories as independent as “a clear attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
The White House flagged the announcement of wide-ranging sanctions against Russia within 24 hours, in co-operation with key partners. In an emergency UN Security Council meeting, held at Ukraine’s request, the US and its allies accused Moscow of defying international law and seeking to turn back time to an era “when empires ruled the world”.
US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield accused Mr Putin of a “series of outrageous, false claims” that were aimed at “creating a pretext for war”. She ridiculed as “nonsense” his claim to have deployed “peacekeepers”, declaring: “We know what they really are.”
Ukraine’s UN ambassador, Sergiy Kyslytsya, insisted his country’s borders remained “unchangeable” despite Russia’s actions. Russia, which holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council, had wanted the session closed, but the US insisted it be public.
Earlier, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said Russia’s actions were “a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and inconsistent with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations”.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the decision to recognise the two regions as a “flagrant violation” of Ukraine’s sovereignty and breach of international law. “It’s a very ill omen and a very dark sign,” he said.
EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel promised the bloc would react with sanctions against “those involved in this illegal act”, while NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg also condemned Mr Putin’s move as a violation of international agreements signed by Moscow.
A defiant Mr Putin, who has amassed more than 150,000 Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders, said recognition of the territories’ independence was long overdue and accused the Western-backed Ukraine government of inflaming military tensions.
“As for those who seized and hold power in Kyiv, we demand an immediate end to their military operations,” Mr Putin said.
“Otherwise, all responsibility for the possible continuation of bloodshed will be fully on the conscience of the regime in power in Ukraine.”
After the speech, state television showed him signing mutual aid agreements with rebel leaders in the Kremlin.
The recognition effectively puts an end to an already shaky peace plan in the separatist conflict which has rumbled on since 2014, after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine and left more than 14,000 dead. Russia could now justify the deployment of troops at the request of separatist officials, or to protect hundreds of thousands of residents who have been granted Russian passports.
Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, told the Security Council that Moscow was still open to a diplomatic solution. “However, allowing a new bloodbath in the Donbas is something we do not intend to do,” he said.
As news of the recognition of the separatist regions hit the streets of Kyiv, many were in disbelief but said they were ready to defend their country if called on.
“I am very shocked,” said Artem Ivaschenko, a 22-year-old cook originally from Donetsk.
He said the recognition was the “scariest news” he had heard since he had fled the region eight years ago.
“I live here, I already lost a part of my homeland,” he said. “It was taken away, so I will protect it.”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky convened a meeting of his national security council and held telephone calls with several world leaders in a bid to shore up support.
“We expect clear support steps and effective support steps from our partners,” he declared in a late-night televised address.
He vowed that Kyiv was not afraid of anyone. “It is very important to see now who is our true friend and partner, and who will continue to scare the Russian Federation with words,” he said. “We are on our own land.”
Western intelligence officials reportedly said two-thirds of Russia’s forces were now within 50km of Ukraine’s borders and had moved “from being postured for military operations to being poised for military operations”.
Moscow provided no details or date for any deployment of the “peacekeeping” forces, saying only that it came into force “from the day it was signed”.
The sudden move overshadowed last-ditch diplomatic attempts to ease weeks of tensions with Russia.
European leaders had been urging Mr Putin to hold a summit with US President Joe Biden, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he would meet his US counterpart on Thursday in Geneva.
Mr Putin told his Security Council on Monday that there were “no prospects” for the 2015 Minsk peace accords aimed at resolving the Ukraine conflict. He said the stakes were bigger than Ukraine, whose efforts to join NATO and the European Union had deeply angered Moscow.
“The use of Ukraine as an instrument of confrontation with our country poses a serious, very big threat to us,” Mr Putin said.
Additional reporting: AFP
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