The Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin would recognize the independence of the two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, and had informed both German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron of his decision.
The Kremlin statement said that “in the near future the president intends to sign an order” recognizing the independence of the two regions, noting that Macron and Schulz expressed “disappointment” to Putin about the decision during phone conversations between them and Putin.
Putin’s crucial meeting
Putin had said during a live meeting with the Russian National Security Council in the capital MoscowThe question of the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions is linked to international issues relating to Ukraine..
pointed Russian Presidentto the lack of prospect of the “Minsk” agreements in resolving the current conflict with Ukraine, while the dangers of escalation are increasing day by day..
field level
On the ground, the Kremlin reiterated that “the situation is still very tense” on Ukraine’s eastern front, between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists backed by Moscow.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitriy Peskov “This is worrying,” he said, accusing her of wanting to commit “genocide” against the Russian-speaking population..
The West accuses Moscow of escalating the fighting for several days on the front line, and they fear that Russia, which has mobilized more than 100,000 soldiers at the Ukrainian border, will invoke a massive attack against its pro-Western neighbor.
Moscow denies its intention to invade Ukraine, but demands that this country not join NATO and that the alliance withdraw from Eastern Europe, and the West has rejected all these requests so far.
Ukrainian standby
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday he had held a meeting of his top military and security aides after Russian officials urged President Vladimir Putin to recognize the independence of two separatist regions in Ukraine.
“In view of the statements made during the meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, I held urgent consultations with (French President) Emmanuel Macron and (German Chancellor) Olaf Scholz and held a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council,” Zelensky said on Twitter.
As for Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, he officially called on the members of the United Nations Security Council to hold immediate consultations under Article 6 of the Budapest Memorandum, to discuss urgent measures aimed at de-escalation and taking practical measures to ensure the security of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Foreign Minister also called on the European Union to take real measures to support it in its crisis with Russia, and hoped for a summit meeting between US Presidents Joe Biden and Russian Vladimir Putin.
Speaking with his European counterparts in BrusselsThe Ukrainian Foreign Minister stressed that the best strategic decision he could make European Union Now to improve the security situation is to send a clear signal to Russia That Ukraine is part of us.
Or on the field level, a report by the British newspaper, “The Guardian”, revealed that secret discussions are taking place among the Western allies about how to arm the “Ukrainian resistance” in the event of the upcoming Russian invasion.
He was the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson He hinted at such a move, in his speech to the Munich Security Conference, where he said that “it is in the collective self-interest of the West that any Russian invasion,” stressing that “any invasion will lead to a generation of bloodshed and misery,” as the Ukrainians will wage a fierce campaign to resist the Russian forces..
NATO warning
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned in a television interview broadcast on Saturday evening that “all indications are that Russia intends to launch a full-blown attack” on Ukraine.
. added Stoltenberg In his interview with German channel ARD, “We all agree that the risk of an attack is very high.”
The interview was broadcast shortly after the alliance announced that it had transferred its staff in Ukraine from the capital, Kiev, to the western city of Lviv, and to Brussels, to ensure their safety.
The position of the European Union
The European Union had warned Moscow against recognizing the self-declared self-declared republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, and vowed a strong response if Russia chose to do so.
“We are ready to respond with a strong united front if he decides to do so,” Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, told reporters after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
“The security of Ukraine is our security,” he added.
Washington Consequences
The US channel, NBC, quoted two people familiar with the discussions as saying that US administration officials discussed plans with the Ukrainian government for President Volodymyr Zelensky to leave Kiev in the event of a Russian invasion.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday that the possibility of a Russian invasion of Ukraine was imminent, and that it could happen in the coming hours or days.
Sullivan emphasized that the United States explained this information in detail to the United Nations, because it believes that the world must mobilize to confront this type of Russian aggression in the event of tanks crossing the border.
However, Sullivan reiterated that the United States will do its utmost to make diplomacy a success, although Russia has not yet shown willingness to sit seriously at the negotiating table, he said.
The White House spokeswoman, Jin SakiShe made it clear that President Biden had repeatedly affirmed the commitment United State Follow-up diplomatic efforts until the moment of the start of the invasion.
Psaki reiterated Washington’s readiness to impose rapid and dire consequences if it chose Russia War rather than a diplomatic solution, indicating that Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a large-scale attack on Ukraine in the very near future, as she put it.
Russian-American meeting
The office of the French President announced, Emmanuel Macronearlier if Putin and Biden They agreed in principle to hold a summit on Ukrainian crisisMacron suggested.
but French Presidency She said in a statement that “the summit Biden Putin It can only take place if Russia does not invade Ukraine.”
For its part, the Kremlin said, on Monday, that it was “premature” to talk about a summit between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden, which France announced to defuse the crisis between the West and Russia over Ukraine.
As for the White House, he confirmed that Biden agreed in principle to meet with Putin again, if there was no invasion of Ukraine.
A White House spokeswoman said, Jin SakiHe is scheduled to meet with the foreign ministers Blinken and Lavrov later this week in Europe, provided that Russia does not initiate any military action.
United nations
On Monday, the UN spokesman called on “all parties concerned to refrain from any unilateral decision or action that would undermine Ukraine’s territorial integrity,” in response to a question about Russia’s possible recognition of the independence of separatists in eastern Ukraine.
“We reiterate our call for an immediate cessation of hostilities, and we call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint in order to avoid any action or statement that could exacerbate tensions,” Stephane Dujarric said.
Dujarric stressed that “all differences must be addressed through diplomacy.”
