After months of military build-up and fanaticism, US President Joe Biden on Tuesday described Russia’s movements Ukraine As the “beginning of the Russian invasion”.
Here’s what you need to know:
What did Russia do? Russian President Vladimir on Monday Putin ordered the troops Donetsk and Luhansk – in two separatist-held pro-Moscow regions of eastern Ukraine – in what the Kremlin calls “peacekeeping” missions. The move came hours after the independence of the territories was signed.
Several US and Western officials cautioned that it could serve as the opening of a major military operation targeting Ukraine. More than 150,000 Russian soldiers now surround Ukraine On three sides, according to estimates by US and Ukrainian intelligence officials.
How is Ukraine reacting? On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was still pursuing diplomacy to get out of the crisis. Reservists will be called for military training, he said, but there will be no general mobilization of the armed forces.
“We want peace and quiet, but if we are calm today it will disappear tomorrow,” Zelensky said.
How has the world reacted? Russia’s actions have been strongly condemned by many countries, with Western leaders imposing new sanctions on Tuesday and cutting a vital pipeline with Russia.
Biden announced that the United States would sanction Russia’s financial institutions and oligarchs. The European Union also approved 351 Russian lawmakers who voted to recognize separate territories, and the United Kingdom announced sanctions against five Russian banks and three Russian oligarchs.
Also on Tuesday, Germany said it had stopped providing certificates of $11 billion. 750 mile pipeline Which directly connects Russia with Germany. nord stream 2 The project was completed in September but has yet to get the final green light from German regulators. Without it, natural gas cannot flow from Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea pipeline.
On Wednesday, Japan and Australia joined the list of countries that imposed sanctions on Russia, Donetsk and Luhansk.
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