UK joins Biden and the EU in ordering sanctions against Russia after ‘breach of international law’: Liz Truss says Britain will announce measures to target Putin after he recognised independence of two rebel-held territories in Ukraine
- Decision to recognise Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine was an ‘ill omen’ Boris Johnson said
- Ms Truss announced new sanctions on Monday after saying Mr Putin’s actions could not go ‘unpunished’
- The move follows a decision by US President Joe Biden to immediately impose sanctions
The UK is to join the US and the EU in imposing new sanctions on Russia ‘in response to their breach of international law and attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity’, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Tuesday.
It comes as the Ukraine crisis intensified after Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would recognise two breakaway republics.
The decision to recognise Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine was an ‘ill omen’ and a flagrant breach of international law, Boris Johnson said in a press conference.
Ms Truss tweeted about the new sanctions on Monday evening after saying Mr Putin’s actions could not be allowed to go ‘unpunished’.
‘Tomorrow we will be announcing new sanctions on Russia in response to their breach of international law and attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,’ she said.
Earlier on Monday, the Foreign Secretary said the recognition of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic as independent states ‘demonstrates Russia’s decision to choose a path of confrontation over dialogue’.
‘We will co-ordinate our response with allies,’ she said. We will not allow Russia’s violation of its international commitments to go unpunished.’
The move follows a decision by US President Joe Biden to immediately impose sanctions on the two breakaway regions in Ukraine, a move which was met with criticism for not being strong enough.
Jim Scuitto, who served as chief of staff to the U.S. Ambassador to China under Obama, said of the sanctions: ‘Is this really it?’
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki assured in her Monday statement that there will be further measures taken in coordination with U.S. allies and partners if Russia further invades Ukraine.
‘We are continuing to closely consult with Allies and partners, including Ukraine, on next steps and on Russia’s ongoing escalation along the border with Ukraine,’ she wrote.
The European Union’s top officials have also said the bloc will impose sanctions against Russia.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel say in a joint statement that the recognition is ‘a blatant violation of international law.’
The statement added that the bloc ‘will react with sanctions’ and ‘reiterates its unwavering support to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.’
The UK is to join the US and the EU in imposing new sanctions on Russia after after Vladimir Putin said he would recognise two breakaway republics. Above: Pro-Russian activists celebrate in eastern Ukraine after Putin’s decree
It comes as the Ukraine crisis intensified after Russian President Vladimir Putin said he would recognise two breakaway republics
Ms Truss tweeted about the new sanctions on Monday evening after saying Mr Putin’s actions could not be allowed to go ‘unpunished’
Putin signed a decree recognising the independence of the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk regions while Mr Johnson was speaking at a news conference, upping the ante in a crisis the West fears could unleash a major war.
Responding, Mr Johnson said: ‘I gather that Vladimir Putin has effectively announced that Russia is recognising the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Lugansk.
‘This is plainly in breach of international law. It’s a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine.
‘It is a repudiation of the Minsk process and the Minsk agreements. And I think it’s a very ill omen and a very dark sign, and certainly does seem to me that it’s certainly an indication – yet another indication – that things are moving in the wrong direction in Ukraine.
‘The UK will continue to do everything we can to stand by the people of Ukraine with a very robust package of sanctions, as you know, fortifying the Eastern flank of NATO in all the ways that we have, but also being one of the few countries to have given the Ukrainians, the defensive weaponry that we think is appropriate to their needs and we will continue to to think about what more we can do to support Ukraine in what is clearly a very, very dark and difficult time.’
Johnson said he would talk with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday and would offer Britain’s support.
The move follows a decision by US President Joe Biden to immediately impose sanctions on the two breakaway regions in Ukraine, a move which was met with criticism for not being strong enough
Putin signed a decree recognising the independence of the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk regions while Mr Johnson was speaking at a news conference, upping the ante in a crisis the West fears could unleash a major war
The White House announced Monday President Joe Biden will sign an Executive Order issuing economic sanctions on the two regions Russia just declared it recognizes as independent ‘republics’ in Eastern Ukraine
After Putin signed the decree, Ms Truss said in a statement that the move violated the U.N. Charter and signalled an end to the Minsk process – a set of agreements designed to end a separatist war by Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine.
‘We will not allow Russia’s violation of its international commitments to go unpunished,’ she said.
She added: ‘President Putin’s recognition of the ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ and ‘Luhansk People’s Republic’ as independent states shows flagrant disregard for Russia’s commitments under the Minsk agreements. This step… signals an end to the Minsk process.
‘It demonstrates Russia’s decision to choose a path of confrontation over dialogue. We will co-ordinate our response with allies. We will not allow Russia’s violation of its international commitments to go unpunished.’
Tuesday’s sanctions may not be the full extent of the response, with further sanctions in reserve if Putin subsequently decides to invade.
After Putin’s declaration, President Biden almost immediately called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and convened a meeting of his National Security team.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a document recognising the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on Monday
Vladimir Putin today chaired a meeting of Russia’s full security council, with top aides getting to their feet one by one to lay out the case for war in Ukraine
The President also hopped on a secure call with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for approximately a half-an-hour shortly after Putin’s remarks.
‘We have anticipated a move like this from Russia and are ready to respond immediately,’ Ms Psaki wrote in her Monday statement following Putin’s remarks.
‘President Biden will soon issue an Executive Order that will prohibit new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine,’ she detailed, adding ‘the Departments of State and Treasury will have additional details shortly.’
‘We will also soon announce additional measures related to today’s blatant violation of Russia’s international commitments,’ Psaki added.
A bipartisan group of 21 lawmakers pledged on Monday to ‘work toward whatever emergency supplemental legislation will best support our NATO allies and the people of Ukraine.’
‘No matter what happens in the coming days, we must assure that the dictator Putin and his corrupt oligarchs pay a devastating price for their decisions,’ they wrote.
Zelensky said he discussed with Biden on Monday afternoon ‘the events of the last hours’.
‘We begin the meeting of the National Security and Defense Council,’ he posted, adding: ‘A conversation with [UK Prime Minister] Boris Johnson is also planned.’
The White House confirmed that Biden did have a roughly 35-minutes call with Zelelnsky.
Separatist leaders in Ukraine’s eastern regions claimed today a Ukrainian shell landed in Russian territory, destroying a guard post that was unmanned at the time
Britain and the US’s response came as Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg condemned Putin’s action in recognising the breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine and accused Russia of ‘trying to stage a pretext to invade Ukraine yet again’.
‘I condemn Russia’s decision to extend recognition to the self-proclaimed ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ and ‘Luhansk People’s Republic’,’ NATO’s secretary general Mr Stoltenberg said.
‘This further undermines Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, erodes efforts towards a resolution of the conflict, and violates the Minsk Agreements, to which Russia is a party.’
The former Norwegian Prime Minister added: ‘In 2015, the United Nations Security Council, which includes Russia, reaffirmed its full respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Donetsk and Luhansk are part of Ukraine.
‘Moscow continues to fuel the conflict in eastern Ukraine by providing financial and military support to the separatists. It is also trying to stage a pretext to invade Ukraine once again.
‘NATO supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders. Allies urge Russia, in the strongest possible terms, to choose the path of diplomacy, and to immediately reverse its massive military build-up in and around Ukraine, and withdraw its forces from Ukraine in accordance with its international obligations and commitments.’
Putin’s move to recognise the rebel regions’ independence shatters the Minsk peace agreements and opens the door for Russia to sign treaties with the ‘states’ and openly send troops and weapons there to defend them against Ukrainian ‘threats’.
The move fuels further tension with the West and narrows the diplomatic options available to avoid war, since it is an explicit rejection of a seven-year-old ceasefire mediated by France and Germany, still touted as the framework for any future negotiations on the wider crisis.
Earlier, Putin vowed to decide ‘today’ whether to recognise Ukraine’s eastern regions as independent states.
He made the remark at the end of an hours-long security council meeting that was broadcast on Russian TV during which the country’s top security officials were called up one by one and asked to lay out the case for war – seemingly aimed at persuading a skeptical public of the need to attack.
Having spent days staging what are widely believed to be false flag attacks on Ukrainian soil and blaming them on Kiev, ministers presented the ‘evidence’ to Putin today: Claiming Russians in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions are under threat of ‘genocide’, that no peace deal can save them, and that he must intervene to save lives.
But in evidence that the entire spectacle was being staged – with the West warning a decision to invade has already been made – eagle-eyed viewers noticed that defence minister Sergei Shoigu’s watch was five hours behind Moscow time, suggesting the hearing was pre-recorded.
All eyes will now turn to Ukraine’s border regions for evidence that Russian troops have crossed, after videos published earlier in the day showed tanks and armoured vehicles in ‘battle formations’ – some of them less than three miles from the frontier.
Dymtro Kuleba, Ukraine’s defence minister, said after the council meeting that ‘the entire world’ will watch what Russia does next and that ‘everyone realises the consequences’ if Putin vows to recognise the breakaway regions. ‘We all should calmly focus on de-escalation efforts, [there is] no other way,’ he tweeted.
It comes as two Ukrainian soldiers died on Monday and three were wounded in a shelling attack in Zaitseve, a village 18 miles north of the rebel stronghold Donetsk, Ukraine’s national police said.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who had a phone call with Putin on Tuesday evening.
He warned him that recognising the eastern regions would be a ‘one-sided’ breach of peace negotiations and that he has a ‘responsibility’ to de-escalate tensions by removing troops from the border.
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