Ukraine crisis: Vladimir Putin orders Russian military to ‘maintain peace’ in Ukraine rebel regions
Scott Morrison has condemned Russia for the “unacceptable” action of Russia’s military entering two breakaway regions of Ukraine.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says Russia must “unconditionally withdraw” from Ukraine, as he rejects President Vladimir Putin’s claim only peacekeepers were being sent into the region.
“Some suggestions (Russian troops) are peacekeeping is nonsense,” he said.
“They have moved in on Ukrainian sovereign territory.”
Mr Morrison said Australia would move in “lockstep” with other countries to put in place “strong and severe” sanctions against Russia.
“While I hope for the best in terms of diplomatic efforts that are being pursued ... trying to avoid a violent confrontation with terrible human consequences. We cannot have threats of violence,” he said.
“Russia should step back. It should unconditionally withdraw. It’s unacceptable, it’s unprovoked, it’s unwarranted.”
Putin has ordered Russia’s military to “maintain peace” in two breakaway regions of Ukraine, just hours after he recognised them as independent.
In two official decrees, Putin instructed the defence ministry to assume “the function of maintaining peace” in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.
‘JUST MADNESS’: PUTIN
It came after Putin recognised the independence of separatists in Eastern Ukraine after convening an emergency meeting of the Russian Security Council.
In an evening address to the nation, Mr Putin aired grievances dating back to the fall of the Soviet Union and made the case that Ukraine is historically Russian.
“We gave these republics the right to leave the union without any terms and conditions,” Mr Putin said. “This is just madness.”
Mr Putin informed the presidents of Germany and France that he intended to sign a decree formally recognising independence in “the near future”.
The Kremlin said in a statement that Mr Putin made his decision as the civilian population, which is majority ethnic Russian, was suffering in the face of “the military aggression of the Ukrainian authorities.”
Australia has condemned Russia’s for recognising the “independence” of two breakaway regions in Ukraine, warning President Vladimir Putin there will be “severe costs” for his incendiary actions.
Foreign Minister Marise Payne has joined world leaders criticising Mr Putin’s new declaration recognising the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent on Tuesday, effectively putting an end to the fragile peace in eastern Europe.
“Russia’s recognition of two separatist territories of Ukraine is a violation of international law, Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the Minsk agreement,” Ms Payne said.
“Russia’s propaganda convinces no one.
“(Australia) continues to work with partners to ensure severe costs for Russia’s aggression.”
The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO) has condemned Russia’s “provocative and dangerous decision to recognise the Russia-controlled terrorist organisations of the so-called Luhansk and Donetsk ‘people’s republics’.
AFUO co-chair Stefan Romaniw said it was another act of aggression against Ukraine, its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“It is a blatant violation of international law, and violates the Minsk Agreements, to which Russia is a party,” he said.
“It also marks an end to the Minsk process, and demonstrates Russia’s decision to choose a path of global isolation and aggression against the international rules-based order.”
“Russia invaded and occupied eastern Ukraine in 2014 and established fake republics. In doing so, it used a massive disinformation campaign to imply a ‘civil war’ and ‘separatist’ movement was involved. There is no civil war in Ukraine.”
‘CLEAR BREACH’
The leaders of France, Germany and the United States condemned Putin’s decision to recognise rebel-held areas in east Ukraine as independent, calling it a “clear breach” of the Minsk peace agreements.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President Joe Biden agreed that “this step will not go unanswered”, the chancellery said in a statement published following their conversation.
The three Western allies also vowed not to let up in their commitment to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.
Praising the restraint shown by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky over the latest developments, they added that they will “do everything in their powers to prevent a further escalation of the situation”.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Putin’s decision to recognise the two separatist Ukrainian republics was “plainly in breach of international law”.
“It is a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine”. He also described it as an “ill omen” and a “dark sign” that things were moving in the wrong direction.
The United Nations has responded to Putin’s ordering of troops into two breakaway Ukrainian regions, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres saying he was “deeply concerned” by the escalation.
“He calls for the peaceful settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine in accordance with the Minsk agreement as endorsed by the UN Security Council in 2015.
“The Secretary-General considers the decision of the Russian Federation to be a violation of territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and inconsistent with the charter of the United Nations, “ the statement reads.
“The United Nations remains fully supportive of the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders.
“The Secretary-General urges all relevant actors to focus their efforts on ensuring an immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, preventing any action and statements that may further escalate the dangerous situation in and around Ukraine and prioritising diplomacy to address all issues peacefully.”
The Russian Security Council meeting came after Moscow claimed five Ukrainian “saboteurs” were killed, and one captured, trying to breach the Russian border.
A spokesman for Mr Johnson said earlier intelligence reports suggest Russia has “already begun” its plan to invade Ukraine.
Russian officials earlier claimed that troops intercepted two Ukrainian military units from a “diversionary reconnaissance” group 150 metres from its border, according to Russian news agency Interfax.
Russia’s Southern Military District said the attack began about 6am local time in the Mityankinskaya, adding that two infantry fighting vehicles were destroyed by antitank missiles.
Ukraine’s Minister Foreign Affairs denied the attack, telling Russia to “stop your fake-producing factory now”.
No, Ukraine did NOT:
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) February 21, 2022
âŒAttack Donetsk or Luhansk
âŒSend saboteurs or APCs over the Russian border
âŒShell Russian territory
âŒShell Russian border crossing
âŒConduct acts of sabotage
Ukraine also does NOT plan any such actions.
Russia, stop your fake-producing factory now.
The FSB Director Bortnikov, however, claimed to have captured a Ukrainian prisoner, which could verify the account.
Western allies have been warning that Russia is looking for a pretext to invade, pointing to the shelling of a Kindergarten and the car bombing in recent days as possible “false flag” attacks.
Following the alleged attack, separatist leaders called for military and financial aid, and requested Russia formally recognise the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) as independent states.
Mr Putin told the Russian Security Council it was necessary to consider their request, adding that Ukraine was planning to break Minsk accords.
Mr Putin was forced to correct his own spy chief, Sergey Naryshkin, during the meeting after he suggested further plans for the region beyond just independence.
Mr Naryshkin asked Mr Putin not to “rush the decision” about independence for the disputed Donbas region, and to “give another chance to our Western partners.”
But, Mr Naryshkin added, that he supports “the inclusion of the DNR and the LNR into the Russian Federation” if diplomacy fails.
Grinning, Mr Putin said: “We are not discussing that, we are talking about recognising their independence.”
Mr Naryshkin replied: “I support the move to recognise their independence.”
WATCH: Russian spy chief stumbles and expresses support for eastern Ukraine's annexation, to which Putin responds: "That’s not what we're talking about" pic.twitter.com/CBbYJsNPfR
— BNO News (@BNONews) February 21, 2022
If Russia officially offers military aid and recognises the DPR and LPR as independent, it effectively ends the Minsk agreements holding a fragile status-quo in the disputed Donbas region.
The United Kingdom said intelligence suggests that Mr Putin has already put into motion his plan for invading Ukraine.
“The intelligence we are seeing suggests that Russia intends to launch an invasion and that President Putin’s plan has already begun,” the spokesman told reporters.
“We’re seeing seen elements of the Russian playbook that we would expect to see in certain situations, starting to play out in real-time.”
UK foreign secretary Liz Truss met with NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg, telling reporter remains “highly likely”.
“The UK and allies are stepping up preparations for the worst-case scenario. We must make the cost for Russia intolerably high.”
PUTIN’S BLUNT RESPONSE TO BIDEN SUMMIT
Moscow has dashed hopes that a meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin could delay a possible invasion of Ukraine.
The French president had announced the two leaders accepted, in principle, an in-person summit so long as Moscow does not invade Ukraine.
But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Poeskov said no final decision had been made from the Russian side and there were “no concrete plans” to meet with Mr. Biden.
“It’s premature to talk about any specific plans for organising any kind of summits,” he said.
“If necessary, of course, the Russian and American presidents can decide to hold a telephone call or connect via other methods,” he added. “A meeting is possible if the heads of state consider it appropriate.”
The last-ditch effort to prevent a European war comes after a huge build-up of Russian troops along Ukraine’s frontier.
The summit was announced by France after a phone call between President Emmanuel Macron and Putin.
“The President of the Republic spoke with the President of the United States, Mr. Joe Biden and the President of the Russian Federation, Mr. Vladimir Putin. He proposed a summit to be held between President Biden and President Putin and then with relevant stakeholders to discuss security and strategic stability in Europe.
“Presidents Biden and Putin have both accepted the principle of such a summit. The substance will have to be prepared by Secretary Blinken and Minister Lavrov during their meeting on Thursday 24 February. It can only be held at the condition that Russia does not invade Ukraine. The President of the Republic will work with all stakeholders to prepare the content of these discussions.”
RUSSIAN TROOPS ‘READY TO STRIKE’
It comes amid reports the US has intelligence that Russian commanders have already received their orders to invade Ukraine, as US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told American media he doesn’t believe Putin is “bluffing.”
“He’s been very deliberate in terms of assembling the right kind of combat and combat support capabilities in the border region, and so he has a number of options available to him there. And he could, he could attack in short order,” he told ABC News.
Sec. Austin said that judging from the sheer number of forces — as many as 190,000 troops, along with aircraft, armoured vehicles and artillery — that Mr Putin has assembled along Ukraine, “you could see a significant amount of combat power move very quickly now to take Kiev.
“If he employs that kind of combat power, it will certainly create enormous casualties within the civilian population, and so this could create a tragedy, quite frankly, in terms of refugee flow and displaced people,” the defence secretary said.
“So this is potentially very, very dangerous.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told media on Sunday that joint-military exercises between Russia and Belarus, which borders Ukraine to the north, were scheduled to end Sunday local time but are being extended.
“Everything we’re seeing tells us that the decision we believe President Putin has made to invade is moving forward,” Sec. Blinken said.
MACRON-PUTIN AGREE TO ‘DO EVERYTHING’ FOR A CEASEFIRE
Macron and Putin on Sunday agreed to work for a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine, according to Mr Macron’s office.
In a phone conversation lasting 105 minutes, they also agreed on “the need to favour a diplomatic solution to the ongoing crisis and to do everything to achieve one”, the Elysee said, adding that French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov would meet “in the coming days”.
Mr Putin and Mr Macron said they would work “intensely” to allow the Trilateral Contact Group, which includes Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE, to meet “in the next few hours with the aim of getting all interested parties to commit to a ceasefire at the contact line” in eastern Ukraine where government troops and pro-Russian separatists are facing each other.
“Intense diplomatic work will take place in the coming days,” Mr Macron’s office said, with several consultations to take place in the French capital.
Mr Macron and Mr Putin also agreed that talks between Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany should resume to implement the so-called Minsk protocol which in 2014 had already called for a ceasefire in eastern Ukraine.
Both also agreed to work towards “a high-level meeting with the aim of defining a new peace and security order in Europe”, Mr Macron’s office said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, after a phone call on Sunday with his French counterpart, called for a resumption of talks with Russia under OSCE auspices and an immediate ceasefire.
“We stand for intensifying the peace process. We support the immediate convening of the TCG,” he said, referring to the Trilateral Contact Group, which includes Ukraine, Russia and the OSCE.
The call came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told Mr Macron that he would not respond to what he called Russia’s “provocations”, and remained open to “dialogue” with Moscow.
But while Ukraine and Russia both called for intensified diplomatic efforts to avert all-out war, they blamed each other for a sharp escalation in shelling on the frontline separating Kyiv’s forces from Moscow-backed separatists.
AUSSIE TROOPS RULED OUT
Defence Minister Peter Dutton has again ruled out sending Australian troops to Ukraine as he warns a war with Russia is inevitable.
Speaking following reports from US intelligence that President Vladimir Putin has made a strike order, Mr Dutton said an invasion would have a “knock-on effect” for the world.
“Troops continue to build up, the presence of the shifts in the Black Sea, the cyber attacks, the false flag activity, it is all pointing in one direction sadly,” he told the Today Show.
“We just don't want to see women and children as the victims of another war, but it seems that is the path that Vladimir Putin is set on embarking.”
While Australia will not commit to military assistance, Mr Dutton said Australia lend support in other capacities.
“We are not sending troops to Ukraine. But there are ways in which we can provide assistance and there may be some cyber activities that we are able to support,” he said.
“It may be the case that we are able to send some support otherwise to Ukraine, but we will assess that as it unfolds.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australia would always stand up to “authoritarian autocrats who think they can bully others.”
Foreign Minister Marise Payne met with her Ukraine counterpart on the sidelines of a security conference in Germany.
Dmytro Kuleba said he was “grateful to Australia for standing by Ukraine at this tense time of the security crisis created by Russia”.
Overnight, Australia joined with the US and the UK to publicly attribute a cyber attack on the Ukrainian banking sector to the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate.
“Australia condemns Russian cyber attacks against Ukraine and has established a Bilateral Cyber Dialogue and further cyber security training,” Senator Payne said.
US EMBASSY WARNS OF ATTACKS IN RUSSIA
The US embassy in Moscow warned Americans late Sunday local time of potential attacks in public places in Russia, including along the border with Ukraine where the Kremlin has massed troops in advance of a feared invasion.
“According to media sources, there have been threats of attacks against shopping centres, railway and metro stations, and other public gathering places in major urban areas,” the embassy said in a statement.
The mission did not point to specific reports.
The embassy’s warning said there was a risk of attacks in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, “as well as in areas of heightened tension along the Russian border with Ukraine”.
The embassy told Americans in Russia to “avoid crowds” and “have evacuation plans that do not rely on US government assistance”.
Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticised the move on social media, asking whether the US side had followed protocol with the announcement and asking: “What are we to make of this?”
Local authorities around Russia’s border with Ukraine in recent days have announced a state of emergency as evacuees cross into the country from rebel-held territory in east Ukraine.
The emergencies ministry said Sunday that more than 50,000 people had entered Russia since separatist leaders in two breakaway republics told women and children to go to Russia Friday, citing an increase in tensions.
It comes after Russia’s national security service on Saturday local time reported two mortar shells landed on a building inside Russian territory as they claim Ukraine forces have begun a campaign of “genocide” against any Russian-speaking citizens.
Hostilities between Ukraine forces and Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine’s east have ramped up in recent hours with analysts now predicting the eight-year border conflict will be the precursor to all over hostilities.
Russia’s FSB security services reported the shells that landed in the Rostov area were Ukrainian and while no-one was hurt it claimed was part of a broader campaign.
The Ukraine military quickly dismissed the report but said mercenaries and Russian Special Forces had moved into separatist-held parts of east Ukraine to provoke all out hostilities.
The separatists had also made a high-profile media show of civilian evacuations from Ukraine’s east that the rebels themselves had organised as they claimed to have intercepted secret Ukraine plans to “purge” Russian-speakers from the disputed territory.
A man detained in Donetsk in Ukraine’s east was paraded on Russian television claiming to be a spy and admitting the border city was set to be levelled by mortar fire.
RUSSIA’S FRIGHTENING MISSILE LAUNCH
As claims and counter claims of shelling along the Russian-Ukrainian border rang out President Putin watched a bank of screens in the Kremlin’s “Situation Room” showing his troops testing nuclear-capable short range missiles.
The footage was beamed to households across Russia in a show of strength as the president sought domestic support for possible war.
“All the missiles hit their targets, confirming their performance objectives,” the Kremlin said, adding that the drills included Tu-95 bombers and submarines.
Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had made a reference to nuclear launch codes.
“Such test launches, of course, are impossible without the head of state. You know about the famous black suitcase and the red button,” he said.
Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and fomented a rebellion in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russia separatists have been fighting Ukrainian forces for almost eight years. Shelling killed two Ukrainians soldiers on Saturday.
Western leaders meanwhile gathered in Munich for talks.
Kamala Harris told Ukraine’s leader President Volodymyr Zelensky the world was watching.
“Let me be clear, I can say with absolute certainty: If Russia further invades Ukraine, the United States, together with our allies and partners, will impose significant and unprecedented economic costs,” Harris said.
Mr Zelensky responded calling on the world to do more in the face of Russian aggression.
“For eight years, Ukraine has been a shield,” he said.
“For eight years, Ukraine has been holding back one of the greatest armies in the world.”
He said it was now time for “clear, feasible time frames” for Ukraine to join the US-led NATO military alliance, the very thing the Kremlin has said was a red line for its security. President Putin sought a signed guarantee Ukraine would never be allowed into NATO before he would consider pulling back his troops.
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Originally published as Ukraine crisis: Vladimir Putin orders Russian military to ‘maintain peace’ in Ukraine rebel regions
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