Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the deployment of troops to two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine after recognizing them as independent on Monday, accelerating a crisis the West fears could unleash a major war.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
A Reuters witness saw tanks and other military hardware moving through the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk after Putin formally recognized the breakaway regions and ordered the deployment of Russian forces to "keep the peace."
About five tanks were seen in a column on the edge of Donetsk and two more in another part of town, a Reuters reporter said. No insignia were visible on the vehicles.
Putin's announcement drew international condemnation and immediate US sanctions to halt US business activity in the breakaway regions and ban the import of all goods from those areas.
The measures were separate from sanctions the United States and its allies had prepared if Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said.
A senior US official said the deployment to breakaway enclaves did not yet constitute a "further invasion" that would trigger the harshest sanctions as Russia already had forces there, but that a wider campaign could come at any time.
Britain, France and Germany also agreed to respond to Russia's recognition of the breakaway regions with sanctions, and the White House said it would announce further measures on Tuesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who received a solidarity call from US President Joe Biden, accused Russia of wrecking peace talks and ruled out territorial concessions.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine wanted to solve the crisis through diplomacy but that his country was ready to dig in for the long haul.
"We are committed to the peaceful and diplomatic path, we will follow it and only it," Zelenskyy said. "But we are on our own land, we are not afraid of anything and anybody, we owe nothing to no one, and we will give nothing to no one."
He called for an emergency summit of the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France while urging Ukraine's allies to take action against Russia.
Zelenskyy's administration has voiced frustration at the West's unwillingness to impose preemptive sanctions after Russia amassed more than 150,000 troops near Ukraine's borders in recent weeks.
"We expect clear and effective steps of support from our partners," Zelenskyy said. "It is very important to see who our real friends and partners are, and who will continue to scare the Russian Federation with words."
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US ambassador to the United Nations, told an emergency meeting of the Security Council that Moscow's recognition of the eastern regions was part of its attempt to create a pretext for a further invasion of Ukraine.
"Tomorrow, the United States will impose sanctions on Russia for this clear violation of international law and Ukraine sovereignty and territorial integrity," she told reporters after the Security Council meeting on Monday evening.
"We can, will, and must stand united in our calls for Russia to withdraw its forces, return to the diplomatic table and work toward peace," she said.
Thomas-Greenfield added that Putin "has put before the world a choice" and it "must not look away" because "history tells us that looking the other way in the face of such hostility will be a far more costly path."
She said Putin is testing to see "how far he can push us all," and all countries must stand up for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all countries.
Thomas-Greenfield warned that "the consequences of Russia's actions will be dire – across Ukraine, across Europe, and across the globe."
Biden's administration has prepared an initial package of sanctions against Russia that includes barring US financial institutions from processing transactions for major Russian banks, three people familiar with the matter said.
The measures, which would only be implemented if Russia invades Ukraine, aim to hurt the Russian economy by cutting the "correspondent" banking relationships between targeted Russian banks and US banks that enable international payments.
While US authorities have said banking restrictions would be part of a package of possible sanctions, the administration's plan to cut correspondent banking ties – which underpin global money flows – had not previously been reported.
The Russian UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, warned Western powers to "think twice" and not worsen the situation.
China called for all parties to exercise restraint while Japan said it was ready to join international sanctions on Moscow in the event of a full-scale invasion.
Chinese state media reported that China's Embassy in Kyiv notified its citizens in Ukraine to heighten their safety awareness and avoid conflict areas. On Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China hoped all parties would pursue a solution that is "truly conducive to safeguarding the security of Europe."
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida criticized Russia for violating Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity and said his country will discuss possible "severe actions" including sanctions with the international community.
"Those actions are unacceptable, and we express our strong condemnation," Kishida told reporters Tuesday. "Japan is watching the development with grave concern."
US diplomatic staff that had been moved from Kyiv to the western city of Lviv were ordered to spend the night in Poland as the crisis deepened.
Oil jumped to a seven-year high, safe-haven currencies such as the yen rallied and global stocks tumbled as Europe's eastern flank stood on the brink of war. The Russian rouble extended its losses as Putin spoke, at one point sliding beyond 80 per dollar.
In a lengthy televised address packed with grievances against the West, a visibly angry Putin said eastern Ukraine was ancient Russian land.
Russian state television showed Putin, joined by Russia-backed separatist leaders, signing a decree recognizing the independence of the two Ukrainian breakaway regions – the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic.
Putin had announced his decision in phone calls to the leaders of Germany and France earlier, the Kremlin said.
In his address, Putin delved into history as far back as the Ottoman empire and as recent as the tensions over NATO's eastward expansion. His demands that Ukraine drop its long-term goal of joining the Atlantic military alliance have been repeatedly rebuffed by Kyiv and NATO states.
"I deem it necessary to make a decision that should have been made a long time ago – to immediately recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic," Putin said.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
A French presidential official said the speech "mixed various considerations of a rigid and paranoid nature."
The United States says Russia has amassed a force numbering 169,000-190,000 troops in the region, including the separatists in the breakaway regions, and has warned of invasion at any moment.
Putin has for years worked to restore Russia's influence over nations that emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union, with Ukraine holding an important place in his ambitions. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
Russia denies any plan to attack its neighbor, but it has threatened unspecified "military-technical" action unless it receives sweeping security guarantees, including a promise that Ukraine will never join NATO.
Recognition of the separatist-held areas will narrow the diplomatic options to avoid war, since it is an explicit rejection of a seven-year-old ceasefire mediated by France and Germany.
