“We are on our land, we are not afraid of anyone or anything.” So declared Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky when he addressed his country just after 2am local time.
His message came after countries including the UK and US warned of sanctions on Russia after Vladimir Putin recognised the breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine as independent.
Ukraine’s borders remain “unchangeable” regardless of Russia’s recent actions, Kyiv’s ambassador to the United Nations told the Security Council.
“The internationally recognised borders of Ukraine have been and will remain unchangeable regardless of any statements and actions by the Russian federation,” Sergiy Kyslytsya said during an emergency meeting called after Mr Putin’s announcement.
Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary, said new sanctions to be announced on Tuesday were in response to Russia’s “breach of international law and attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
Boris Johnson said of Russia’s decision to recognise the separatist regions: “This is plainly in breach of international law, it’s a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine.
“I think it’s a very ill omen and a very dark sign.”
In recognising the independence of the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, Russia has officially given up on the 2015 peace deals that recognise Ukraine’s sovereignty over the territory. It also gives Russia a pretext to send troops to the separatist-held areas.
“We are not afraid. We won’t cede anything,” Mr Zelensky said, adding that Mr Putin withdrew from the Minsk Agreements by ordering troops into Ukraine.
“We are committed to peace and diplomacy. We are on our land, we are not afraid of anyone or anything, and we will not give anything to anyone, and we are sure of that,” Mr Zelensky said.
“It’s not February 2014, but February 2022,” he said in a reference to Ukraine’s weak army eight years ago when Russia took Crimea.
Follow the latest updates below.
04:31 AM
‘Consequences of Russia’s actions will be dire – across … the globe’
The US ambassador to the United Nations has dismissed “as nonsense” Vladimir Putin’s announcement that he is putting Russian troops in separatist areas of eastern Ukraine as peacekeepers, saying their presence is “clearly the basis for Russia’s attempt to create a pretext for a further invasion of Ukraine”.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday night that this move and Mr Putin’s earlier announcement that Russia will recognise the separatist areas as “independent states” are also an “unprovoked” attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
By his actions, she said, Mr Putin “has torn the Minsk Agreement to shreds”.
Ms Thomas-Greenfield said Mr 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 Mr 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.
Ms Thomas-Greenfield warned that “the consequences of Russia’s actions will be dire – across Ukraine, across Europe, and across the globe”.
04:22 AM
Japan criticises Russian actions
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida criticised Russia for violating Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity and said his country will discuss possible “severe actions” including sanctions with the international community.
“Those [Russia’s] actions are unacceptable, and we express our strong condemnation,” Mr Kishida told reporters on Tuesday. “Japan is watching the development with grave concern.”
Separately, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said it was important that Group of Seven nations that share values such as democracy and rule of law stick together and lead the international community. He declined to say if Japan is planning its own sanctions against Russia.
04:18 AM
Air travel could be affected, US warns
US secretary of state Antony Blinken has warned that there is a strong likelihood that any Russian military operations would severely restrict commercial air travel.
“Russian troops have continued to move closer to the border in what looks like plans for an invasion at any moment,” he said.
04:03 AM
China calls for restraint and a diplomatic solution
China has called for restraint and is encouraging every effort to find a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine crisis, saying Beijing believes all countries should solve disputes by peaceful means in line with the UN Charter.
China’s UN Ambassador Zhang Jun called on the key parties in the Ukraine dispute “to continue dialogue and consultation and seek reasonable solutions”.
Mr Zhang gave very brief remarks at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday night called by Ukraine, the US and six other countries.
The Chinese ambassador made no mention of actions on Monday by its usual ally, Russia, saying only that “all parties concerned must exercise restraint, and avoid any action that may fuel tensions”, and to “welcome and encourage every effort for a diplomatic solution”.
Chinese state media is reporting 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”.
04:01 AM
How the world reacted to Vladimir Putin’s speech
Western powers reacted swiftly to the decision by Russian President Vladimir Putin to recognise the independence of the two self-proclaimed republics in eastern Ukraine, condemning Moscow and calling for sanctions.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson denounced Mr Putin’s decision as “a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of the Ukraine”.
A “very robust package of sanctions” would be triggered “with the first toecap of a Russian incursion or Russian invasion”, he added.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Mr Putin’s decision required “a swift and firm response, and we will take appropriate steps in coordination with partners”.
A French official described the address to the nation by Mr Putin as “paranoid”, accusing him of breaking promises made to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.
Read the full story here.
03:56 AM
Putin orders Russian forces into Ukraine
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In an ominous speech that lasted almost an hour, Vladimir Putin accused the Ukrainian Government of “genocide” and said it was sure to seek nuclear weapons with the assistance of the West.
Afterwards, he signed a decree that recognised the independence of the Russian-speaking separatist regions, which have been under effective control since Russia stoked a separatist war there in 2014.
In Mr Putin’s eyes, it could create a legal basis for the Russian army to move across the border into the Donbas region and engage in direct conflict with Ukrainian forces, dashing months of Western diplomatic efforts aimed at averting an invasion.
03:42 AM
Could there be other Ukrainian targets?
03:36 AM
Vladimir Putin warns of ‘bloodshed’
The world continues to react to Vladimir Putin’s warning of “bloodshed” as he ordered Russian troops into two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, raising fears of a full-on invasion.
The Russian president ordered the army across the border to “maintain peace” after he recognised the independence of the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in a televised address to the nation.
In an ominous speech that lasted almost an hour, Mr Putin accused the Ukrainian Government of “genocide” and said it was sure to seek nuclear weapons with the assistance of the West.
Read the full story here.
