French President Emmanuel Macron believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin has reneged on his commitments and that his decision to recognise the independence of two rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine needs to be sanctioned.
In a televised national addressed, Putin accused the West of turning Ukraine into an anti-Russian bastion, and he said it was necessary to "take a long overdue decision to immediately recognise the independence" of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic. in Ukraine’s Donbass region.
In two official decrees, Putin instructed the defence ministry to assume "the function of peacekeeping" in the regions, though no details were provided.
France, allies call for sanctions
Macron called for targeted European Union sanctions against Moscow for violating international treaties.
The move is an explicit rejection of a seven-year-old ceasefire, the Minsk agreement, mediated by France and Germany.
The recognition of the two separatist territories in #Ukraine is a blatant violation of international law, the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the #Minsk agreements.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) February 21, 2022
The EU and its partners will react with unity, firmness and with determination in solidarity with Ukraine.
In a statement published following a half hour telephone conversation between Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President Joe Biden, the three leaders discussed how to coordinate their response.
The US said it will impose sanctions on Russia Tuesday, though US officials were cautious about calling Russia’s decision to send “peacekeepers” an invasion.
"Russian troops moving into Donbass would not be a new step," said a US official, stressing that troops have already been deployed covertly in the separatist areas for eight years.
Concerns about invasion
For the West, sending troops opens the door to the deployment of an invasion force, after Russia has been gathering troops and military equipment around Ukraine’s borders for weeks.
Russia has denied any plans to attack Ukraine, but it has threatened unspecified "military-technical" action unless it receives security guarantees, including a promise that Ukraine will never join NATO.
Russia was widely criticised by most members of the United Nations Security Council, which met late Monday in an emergency meeting.
China called for restraint by "all sides" to avoid further escalation, urging a diplomatic solution.
"All parties concerned must exercise restraint and avoid any action that may fuel tensions. We welcome and encourage every effort for a diplomatic solution," said Zhang Jun, China's ambassador to the UN.
It was the third Security Council meeting on Ukraine in as many weeks. The body has met dozens of times to discuss Ukraine since 2014, when Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea region.
It cannot take any action because Russia is a veto power
France continues to back diplomacy
Macron, who is still pressing for a diplomatic resolution to the crisis in Ukraine, wants a planned meeting of Russian and French foreign ministers to go ahead on Friday in Paris.
Macron has tried to broker a possible meeting of Putin and Biden, who agreed in principle, as long as Russia does not invade Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he was scheduled to meet Thursday in Geneva with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss the Ukraine crisis and the possibility of a summit.
Lavrov said Tuesday he was still ready for talks. A foreign ministry spokesperson said: "Even during the most difficult moments... we say: we are ready for negotiations".
(with wires)
