Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday recognised two Moscow-backed rebel regions of Ukraine as independent, in a move that could set off a potentially catastrophic war with Kyiv’s Western-backed government.
In an often angry 65-minute televised national address, Putin railed against Russia’s ex-Soviet neighbour Ukraine as a failed state and “puppet” of the West, repeatedly suggesting that it is essentially part of Russia.
He accused authorities in Kyiv of persecuting Russian speakers and of preparing a “blitzkrieg” against the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Lugansk in Ukraine’s east.
“As for those who seized and hold power in Kyiv, we demand an immediate end to their military operations,” Putin said.“Otherwise, all responsibility for the possible continuation of bloodshed will be fully on the conscience of the regime in power in Ukraine.” Putin said it was necessary to “take a long overdue decision, to immediately recognise the independence” of the two regions.
Immediately after the speech, state television showed him signing mutual aid agreements with rebel leaders in the Kremlin.
The recognition effectively puts an end to an already shaky peace plan in the separatist conflict, which has rumbled on since 2014, after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine, and has left more than 14,000 dead.
EU ‘will react with sanctions’
Russia could now move in troops at the request of separatist officials, or to protect hundreds of thousands of residents who have been granted Russian passports, justifying an intervention as a defence of its citizens.
Ukraine would then either have to accept the loss of a huge chunk of territory, or face an armed conflict against its vastly more powerful neighbour.
The move drew immediate condemnation from the West, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling it “a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of the Ukraine”.
EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel promised the bloc “will react with sanctions against those involved in this illegal act.” Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg also condemned Putin’s move, saying it violates international agreements signed by Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden have agreed to a summit — to be held only if Moscow does not invade Ukraine, France announced on Monday following a frantic new round of diplomacy to avert an all-out war.
Both leaders have said yes in principle to the summit, proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron, his office said, with the White House confirming Biden's willingness, though it was notably cautious.
A senior administration official told AFP: “Timing to be determined. Format to be determined so it's all completely notional.”
The Elysee added that the summit will be expanded to “relevant stakeholders” and that preparations would start between Russia and the United States on Thursday.
The possible breakthrough came after Washington warned of an imminent invasion and Ukraine and Russia blamed each other for a spike in shellings on the front line separating Kyiv's forces from Moscow-backed separatists.
The bombardments have sent Ukrainians fleeing to cellars and other shelters, while some civilians have been evacuated.
In its own statement, the White House warned that it was still ready “to impose swift and severe consequences” should Russia invade.
“And currently, Russia appears to be continuing preparations for a full-scale assault on Ukraine very soon,” US press secretary Jen Psaki said.
Washington and other Western capitals say that Russia has massed more than 150,000 troops on Ukraine's borders and is ready to launch a full-scale assault.
Moscow denies any intention to invade its neighbour but has demanded that the Nato alliance permanently rule out Ukraine's bid for membership and called for the withdrawal of Western forces deployed in eastern Europe since the end of the Cold War.
Macron-Putin calls
The announcement of the summit came moments after Macron held his second marathon call with Putin of the day.
During their first, 105-minute discussion, Putin blamed the increase in violence on the front line on “provocations carried out by the Ukrainian security forces”, according to a Kremlin statement.
Putin repeated a call for “the United States and Nato to take Russian demands for security guarantees seriously”.
But Macron's office also said the two had agreed on “the need to favour a diplomatic solution to the ongoing crisis and to do everything to achieve one."
The second time the pair spoke, late on Sunday evening, it was for an hour, the French presidency said.
The announcement of the summit came shortly after.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Russia remained “on the brink” of invading Ukraine.
US media cited anonymous sources as saying that Washington received intelligence last week showing the Kremlin has given troops the order to attack. The White House, Pentagon and State Department did not confirm the reports when asked by AFP.
Satellite images from a US company also showed new Russian troop deployments along the border.
Macron also spoke with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, who called for an immediate ceasefire and the resumption of talks.
“We stand for intensifying the peace process,” Zelensky tweeted, adding that he had informed Macron about “new provocative shelling” on the front line between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed rebels.
That volatile front line has seen a “dramatic increase” in ceasefire violations, monitors from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have said.
Hundreds of artillery and mortar attacks were reported in recent days, in a conflict that has rumbled on for eight years and claimed more than 14,000 lives.
'Shelling again'
AFP reporters heard more bombardments overnight close to the front line between government forces and the Moscow-backed rebels who hold parts of the eastern districts of Lugansk and Donetsk.
In Zolote, a frontline village in the Lugansk region, an AFP reporter found residents hiding in an earth-floored cellar roughly furnished when the separatist conflict erupted in 2014.
“These weeks they started shelling harder. Now they are shelling again,” said 33-year-old handyman Oleksiy Kovalenko.
In Moscow meanwhile, the US embassy warned Americans of potential attacks in public places in Russia.
Screws tighten
Earlier, fears of escalation mounted after Belarus announced that Russian forces would remain on its soil after Sunday's scheduled end to joint drills, further tightening the screws on Ukraine.
Moscow had previously said the 30,000 troops it has in Belarus were carrying out readiness drills with its ally, to be finished by Sunday, allowing the Russians to head back to their bases.
But Belarus said it had decided with Russia to “continue inspections”, citing increased military activity on their shared borders and an alleged “escalation” in east Ukraine.
Occupied enclave
The Moscow-backed separatists have accused Ukraine of planning an offensive into their enclave, despite the huge Russian military build-up on the frontier.
Kyiv and Western capitals ridicule this idea and accuse Moscow of attempting to provoke Ukraine and of plotting to fabricate incidents to provide a pretext for Russian intervention.
The rebel regions have made similar claims about Ukraine's forces and ordered a general mobilisation, evacuating civilians into neighbouring Russian territory.
“My husband told me: take the children and go!” 31-year-old nurse Anna Tikhonova told AFP from a camp at Vesselo-Voznessenka, Russia.
She and her children had fled from Gorlovka, Ukraine, to the sound of gunfire, she said.