Putin Recognizes Ukraine Rebel Regions, Orders Russian Military to Conduct 'Peacekeeping Operations'
Would you support a war with Russia over Ukraine?
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- Russian leader Vladimir Putin announced Monday that Russia will recognize two self-proclaimed “republics” in eastern Ukraine ― the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR or DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LNR or LPR) ― as independent. The move is a dramatic escalation of tensions in the region and may serve as a prelude to a further invasion of Ukraine by Russia, as Putin also ordered the Russian military to conduct “peacekeeping operations” in the breakaway regions he recognized.
- The Donetsk and Luhansk areas are part of a broader region of eastern Ukraine known as the Donbas, which has been in a state of war between Russian-backed separatists and Ukraine’s government since 2014 when the Russian military launched an incursion into the region and annexed Crimea. Over 14,000 people in the region have been killed since the conflict began. Amid Russia’s military buildup on Ukraine’s border, there has been a dramatic uptick in ceasefire violations by the Russian-backed separatists along the frontlines. About two-thirds of the Donbas is controlled by the government Ukraine, with the remaining one-third controlled by the separatists.
- In a speech announcing his recognition of the DNR and LNR, Putin said the separation of Ukraine and Russia under the Soviet Union was a mistake. Putin said it was “madness” that the former Soviet republics like Ukraine gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a sentiment he expressed in a July 2021 manifesto on the subject. He also repeated false claims that Ukraine is conducting a “genocide” in the Donbas against ethnic Russians; accused Ukraine of several attacks and incidents that are suspected of being staged by Russia as “false flags” to justify a military intervention; and claimed that Ukraine is preparing a military offensive in the area despite Russia’s own buildup of 150,000 troops ― plus up to 40,000 separatists and mercenaries ― on Ukraine’s borders.
- Putin’s announcement sparked condemnation by the U.S., the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and Ukraine.
- Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke with President Joe Biden about the announcement by Russia and added that he will be meeting with his National Security and Defense Council. He will also speak to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson later today and is expected to deliver a national address later on Monday.
- White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki released a statement which said President Biden will impose sanctions on efforts to do business in the self-declared separatist states:
“President Biden will soon issue an Executive Order banning investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine. This E.O. will also provide authority to impose sanctions on any person determined to operate in those areas of Ukraine… To be clear: these measures are separate from and would be in addition to the swift and severe economic measures we have been preparing in coordination with Allies and partners should Russia further invade Ukraine.”
- NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg released a statement condemning Putin’s announcement and urging Russia to de-escalate its military buildup in and around Ukraine:
“I condemn Russia’s decision to extend recognition to the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic” and “Luhansk People’s Republic”. This further undermines Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, erodes efforts towards a resolution of the conflict, and violates the Minsk Agreements, to which Russia is a party… Moscow continues to fuel the conflict in eastern Ukraine by providing financial and military support to the separatists. It is also trying to stage a pretext to invade Ukraine once again. NATO supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders. Allies urge Russia, in the strongest possible terms, to choose the path of diplomacy, and to immediately reverse its massive military build-up in and around Ukraine, and withdraw its forces from Ukraine in accordance with its international obligations and commitments.”
The original article appears below.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced he will recognize two self-proclaimed "republics" in eastern Ukraine - Donetsk (DPR) and Luhansk (LPR) - as independent.
Russian-backed separatists have been battling Ukrainian government forces in the Donbas region since 2014. The Ukrainian government in Kyiv refuses to talk directly with either breakaway separatist group.
Putin informed French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz of his intended move late Monday:
"Today, the leadership of the DPR and LPR received appeals to recognize their sovereignty in connection with the military aggression of the Ukrainian authorities, the massive shelling of the territory of Donbas, as a result of which the civilian population is suffering," the Kremlin statement said.
Recognition of the rebel-held areas could provide a pretext for Russian troops to enter the territory.
This is an ongoing story and will be updated.
For more information on the military escalation, click here.
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Putin is a weak, feeble minded, mini Hitler, Ukraine must bomb Russia out from its borders targeting their equipment, China is watching and studying every step. Sanctions must destroy Russia's economy until they get rid of Putin.
Donald, how did voting for an anti-Democratic anti-constitutional lying authoritarian work out for YOU?
Would you support a war with Russia over Ukraine? This is a very difficult question for me. I hate war, I hate people dying. I hate families being separated. But it seems to be that agreeing to fight for a democratically elected government is probably one of the few reasons war might end up being acceptable since not doing so sentences a majority of people in a country to persecution and discrimination. We certainly allowed 6,000,000 people to be murdered by Nazis because we didn't want to get involved. How different the world would have been had we not been willing to allow the slaughter. For corporations, nothing, but for human beings then yes, I am willing to fight for their right to chose their own form of government and elect those they believe will best serve their interests.
NO, you need to ask those people to vote for what they want! Not leave it to Valdimir Putin.........get it? That is what free nations do. Like us right?
Proven terrorist.
The USA should act as the Leader of the Free World and consider the military assistance that is required. In 1940, Britain and France were not a member of NATO! Make no mistake; at the onset of WWII, the USA had two oceans that protected our mainland. With the advent of Intercontinental Missiles, that concept is no longer valid. We cannot wait to be attacked before we can mobilize.
The USA should act as the Leader of the Free World and consider the military assistance that is required. In 1940 Britain and France were not a member of NATO!
We have to. We signed the treaty! Time for the USA to honor its words and its treaties.
No, we have too much debt already. We can send Trump to fight the war.
The USA should provide support, both by sanctions and military equipment, but we should NOT put our troops in harms way. Our military shouldn’t pay for Biden’s miserable leadership.
The way that it is going putin is forcing NATO'S hand, putin has already said that he wants to put the soviet union back to where it was in 1991 before it broke up. Again, nobody in their right mind wants war, but as we learned in 1939 with hitler, appeasement is not a solution, put together over whelming force to convince putin it is not worth getting into a fight!
I don't want a war with Russia, but we cannot allow them to invade sovereign democracies like this..I support diplomacy and sanctions only.
We have no choice, folks. Someone has to clean up Trump's mess.
annexation is just a polite form of saying invasion and putin knows it ,its against international law
The trump has praised Putin’s tactics to take over portions of Ukraine by sending in Russian military as ‘peace keepers’ as ‘sheer genius’. … … … It has been rumored that when the trump was having mini-strokes, doctors ordered a cranial MRI to look at his cranial sutures (the joints that hold cranial plates together) to assure that there was no brain swelling. They did not see any but did notice that his cranial sutures were quite abnormal and looked a lot like butt-cracks. … … … That clearly explains why the trump is such a shit-head. … … … It appears that Putin must suffer from the same condition.
I hate it. But I support it. Just like any gang territory, the gang will expand to the extent that the community will allow it. The community will allow it to a point because of horrific cost of fighting it even though it would be easier and less costly to confront it right up front before it digs in and the gang has a significant stake worth defending. If an equilibrium everyone is willing to live with is achieved, the cost will be high but seemingly tolerable given the alternatives. But it is a false equilibrium. Cancer grows. It must eventually be fought, or death ensues. These thugs in the Kremlin must be confronted before all of Eastern Europe is engulfed. The cost may be high. But in the long run, it sure beats WWIII.
Not now and harder for us as our supply chains are longer. Threat of nuclear weapons
Economic war!
I don’t support any war, unless it affects the United States of America. Then we will fight like hell. Even the person that is in the White House who is destroying our country Joe Biden. We are still buying oil from Russia? What country is Joe Biden working for? It’s definitely not America or he would not if shut down Keystone oil Pipeline. We would be oil independent upon ourselves. Why is he destroying our southern boil. Why is he letting all of these people come into our country illegally. And he knows and he will not stop.? I would not consider Joe Biden a president of the people in America. He’s too worried about what he’s doing with other people in other countries. Americans mean nothing to Joe Biden he’s a fraud and a liar, and Nancy Pelosi his buddy his partner the one who tells him what to do he holds his hand even when he’s walking. Do you want to stop the destruction in Washington first person you gotta get rid of his Nancy Pelosi. She’s made billions of dollars over inside trading. That’s a woman who only cares about herself and her gourmet ice cream.
We have lost enough lives protecting other countries