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Putin Orders Troops to Separatist Regions and Recognizes Their Independence - The
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WarliveUpdatesMapsWhat’s NextA Guide to the ConflictTimelinePutin Orders Troops to
Separatist Regions and Recognizes Their IndependenceMr. Putin hinted at the
possibility of a wider military campaign and laid claim to all of Ukraine as a
country “created by Russia.” The U.S. and E.U. said they would begin imposing
limited sanctions.Published Feb. 21, 2022Updated March 1, 2022, 6:36 a.m. ETFollow
our live updates on the Russia-Ukraine War, Zelensky, Putin and Kyiv.Here’s what
you need to know:Moscow orders troops to Ukraine’s separatist regions after Putin
recognizes their independence.The U.S. and other nations blast Russia at an
emergency U.N. Security Council meeting.The U.S. said it will impose sanctions on
the breakaway regions, but not for now on Russia.U.S. diplomatic staff relocate
from Ukraine to Poland.Putin, in a fiery speech to Russians, says he will recognize
the separatists in Ukraine.Putin’s speech came after a day of escalating,
choreographed action on Ukraine.Why it matters that Russia just recognized Donetsk
and Luhansk.‘Putin just put Kafka and Orwell to shame’: World leaders condemn
Putin.Moscow orders troops to Ukraine’s separatist regions after Putin recognizes
their independence.ImageA column of Russian armored vehicles, military trucks and
supply units about 60 miles away from the border with Ukraine on
Monday.Credit...Sergey Ponomarev for The New York TimesPresident Vladimir V. Putin
ordered troops into two Russia-backed separatist territories in Ukraine and hinted
at the possibility of a wider military campaign and laid claim to all of Ukraine as
a country “created by Russia” in an emotional and aggrieved address to the Russian
people.Russian state television then showed Mr. Putin signing decrees late Monday
recognizing the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics and directing the
Russian Defense Ministry to deploy troops in those regions to carry out
“peacekeeping functions.”The order was condemned as a violation of international
law and Ukraine’s sovereignty by several nations at an emergency meeting of the
United Nations Security Council on Monday night.“He calls them peacekeepers,” said
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. “This is
nonsense. We know what they really are.”It was not immediately certain whether the
Russian troops would remain only on the territory controlled by the separatist
republics, or whether they would seek to capture the rest of the two Ukrainian
enclaves whose territory they claim.And so it was unclear if a long-feared Russian
full-scale invasion of Ukraine had begun. The separatists might have invited
Russian forces in, but neither Ukraine nor the rest of the world views the so-
called republics as anything but Ukrainian territory.The threat was clear to the
government of President Volodymyr Zelensky, which denies that it is responsible for
the escalating shelling on the front line between Ukrainian forces and Russian-
backed separatists in recent days. Russian state television has broadcast extensive
reports claiming, without evidence, that Ukraine is preparing an offensive against
the separatist territories.Mr. Zelensky, in a televised statement, urged Ukraine’s
allies to take action immediately and called for the Ukrainian people to remain
calm.“We are on our own land,” he said. “We are not afraid of anything or
anyone.”Mr. Zelensky spoke to President Biden and called a meeting of his Security
and Defense Council.White House officials said Mr. Biden would impose sanctions
against people doing business in the separatist regions and that the White House
would soon announce more.Condemnations of Russia’s actions rang out around the
continent, with British and European Union leaders vowing to impose sanctions on
those involved.“Putin just put Kafka and Orwell to shame: no limits to dictator’s
imagination, no lows too low, no lies too blatant, no red lines too red to cross,”
Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė of Lithuania said. “What we witnessed tonight might
seem surreal for the democratic world. But the way we respond will define us for
the generations to come.”Mr. Putin went so far as to describe Ukraine’s elected
pro-Western leaders as stooges and cast them as the aggressors — even though Russia
has an estimated 150,000 to 190,000 soldiers surrounding Ukraine.While Mr. Putin’s
ultimate plans remain a mystery, a full invasion would constitute the largest
military action in Europe since World War II.Now edging toward the twilight of his
political career, Mr. Putin, 69, is determined to burnish his legacy and to correct
what he has long viewed as one of the greatest catastrophes of the 20th century:
the disintegration of the Soviet Union.Asserting Moscow’s power over Ukraine, a
country of 44 million people that was previously part of the bloc and shares a
1,200-mile border with Russia, is part of his aim of restoring what he views as
Russia’s rightful place among the world’s great powers, the United States and
China.Dan Bilefsky contributed reporting.— Anton Troianovski The U.S. and other
nations blast Russia at an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting.VideoThe United
States and allied nations denounced the Russian government’s recognition of two
separatist regions in eastern Ukraine and its order to deploy Russian troops to
them.CreditCredit...Carlo Allegri/ReutersThe United States and allied nations
sought to isolate Russia on Monday at an emergency United Nations Security Council
meeting over the Ukraine crisis, calling Moscow’s recognition of two separatist
regions and the deployment of Russian troops a blunt defiance of international law
that risks war.The unusual late-evening meeting of the Council was requested by
Ukraine after President Vladimir V. Putin ordered troops into the so-called Donetsk
and Luhansk People’s Republics, escalating a conflict that Western officials warn
could explode into one of the biggest armed clashes in Europe since World War
II.The U.N. meeting quickly turned into a diplomatic rebuke of Russia’s actions,
which were condemned as a violation of the United Nations Charter and the sanctity
of national borders.“Russia’s clear attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial
integrity is unprovoked,” Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the American ambassador to the
United Nations, told fellow diplomats.She ridiculed Mr. Putin’s assertion that
Russian forces had been deployed as peacekeepers and called his attempt to recreate
the Russian empire an antiquated throwback.“Putin wants the world to travel back in
time. To a time before the United Nations. To a time when empires ruled the world,”
she said. “But the rest of the world has moved forward. It is not 1919. It is
2022.”The representatives of France and Britain issued similar denunciations.
“Russia is choosing the path of confrontation,” said France’s ambassador, Nicolas
de Rivière. Britain’s ambassador, Barbara Woodward, said: “Russia has brought us to
the brink. We urge Russia to step back.”Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia of Russia, who
is president of the council for February and was obliged to schedule the meeting,
categorically rejected any criticism. He framed his country’s actions as help for
the Russian-speaking inhabitants of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, known as the
Donbas, which have been engaged in a low-level war with Ukraine since 2014. Mr.
Nebenzia described them as victims of Ukrainian attacks and subterfuge.The meeting
adjourned after 90 minutes, with no action taken. Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said
afterward that council members had “sent a unified message — that Russia should not
start war.”— Rick Gladstone AdvertisementContinue reading the main storyThe U.S.
said it will impose sanctions on the breakaway regions, but not for now on
Russia.ImageWhite House officials said President Biden would impose sanctions on
the separatist regions of eastern Ukraine that Russia recognized as independent on
Monday.Credit...Tom Brenner for The New York TimesWASHINGTON — White House
officials said on Monday that President Biden would impose economic sanctions on
the two separatist regions of Ukraine that President Vladimir V. Putin recognized
as independent, but stopped short of imposing any penalties directly on
Russia.White House officials said a further Western response would be announced on
Tuesday, by which time several of Mr. Biden’s aides said they expected to see
Russian forces rolling over the border into Ukraine, crossing the line that Mr.
Biden had set for imposing “swift and severe” sanctions on Moscow.That response
will include at least some sanctions, a White House official said late Monday, in
response to “Moscow’s decisions and actions.” But officials declined to provide
details about how far Mr. Biden and his allies planned to go in punishing Mr.
Putin.The limited nature of the initial sanctions appeared intended to allow the
United States and its European allies to hold in reserve the more aggressive
sanctions they have threatened to impose on Moscow if Mr. Putin sends Russian armed
forces into Ukraine, and to allow for the increasingly slim possibility of a
diplomatic solution.The European allies condemned the Russian action as a violation
of international law and said they supported enacting sanctions. But the relative
restraint of the American steps could also reflect debates among the allies over
what actions by Russia should trigger the fuller sanctions and the difficulty of
developing a unified and proportional response to incremental steps by Mr. Putin.In
a statement, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, called Mr. Putin’s move a
“blatant violation of Russia’s international commitments” and said that Mr. Biden
would soon issue an executive order prohibiting investment, trade and financing
with people in the two regions of Ukraine.“To be clear: These
measures are separate from and would be in addition to the swift and severe
economic measures we have been preparing in coordination with allies and partners
should Russia further invade Ukraine,” Ms. Psaki said in the statement.But there
was pressure on Mr. Biden from members of both parties to act swiftly and
aggressively with a fuller range of sanctions.Representative John Garamendi, a
Democrat from California who is in Brussels for talks with allies, said on CNN that
“it’s time to ramp up the sanctions” and that Europe would support the idea of
tougher measures. Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, wrote on
Twitter that “Putin’s decision to declare eastern Donetsk and Luhansk as
independent regions within Ukraine is both a violation of the Minsk Agreements and
a declaration of war against the people of Ukraine.”He added: “His decision should
immediately be met with forceful sanctions to destroy the ruble and crush the
Russian oil and gas sector.”The reaction from the Biden administration echoed
responses from European allies to the hourlong performance by Mr. Putin, who
angrily aired decades of Russian grievances about Ukraine, NATO and the United
States. The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, lashed out at Mr.
Putin, saying on Twitter that Russia’s recognition of the two territories “is a
blatant violation of international law, the territorial integrity of Ukraine and
the #Minsk agreements.”In a joint statement with the European Council president,
Charles Michel, the pair of leaders wrote that the European Union will “react with
sanctions against those involved in this illegal act,” and that it “reiterates its
unwavering support to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity
within its internationally recognized borders.”White House officials said that Mr.
Biden spoke with Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, for about 35 minutes
following the conclusion of Mr. Putin’s speech. Ms. Psaki did not provide any
details about the call, but said that the United States is “continuing to closely
consult with allies and partners, including Ukraine.”— Michael D. Shear and David
E. Sanger U.S. diplomatic staff relocate from Ukraine to Poland.ImageThe U.S.
Embassy in Kyiv the day after the United States announced it was relocating its
diplomatic staff.Credit...Lynsey Addario for The New York TimesThe U.S. State
Department announced Monday night that diplomatic employees in Lviv, in western
Ukraine, would spend the night in Poland.Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken had
earlier relocated U.S. Embassy staff members from Kyiv to Lviv, a city near Poland,
because of the Russian military buildup around Ukraine.The agency did not give more
details about the latest relocation arrangements, except to say that “our personnel
will regularly return to continue their diplomatic work in Ukraine and provide
emergency consular services.”A spokesman for the United Nations secretary general,
António Guterres, also told journalists on Monday that the organization was
allowing for the “temporary relocation” of some nonessential staff and dependents
in Ukraine, where it has about 1,500 employees, mostly of Ukrainian nationality,
and nearly 1,200 dependents.Of the employees, he said, roughly 100 are in the two
eastern breakaway regions.— Edward Wong AdvertisementContinue reading the main
storyPutin, in a fiery speech to Russians, says he will recognize the separatists
in Ukraine.VideoPresident Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said his country would
recognize the two territories in eastern Ukraine controlled by Moscow-backed
separatists. The U.S. has said Russia could use the recognition to deploy forces to
the region.CreditCredit...Kremlin Pool photo by Alexey NikolskyMOSCOW — President
Vladimir V. Putin on Monday delivered an emotional and aggrieved address laying
claim to all of Ukraine as a country “created by Russia,” recognizing the
independence of two Russia-backed territories in eastern Ukraine and threatening
the government of Ukraine that the bloodshed could continue.The White House
responded by saying that President Biden would begin imposing limited economic
sanctions on the two separatist regions, stopping short of imposing any penalties
directly on Russia for now but vowing that more would come. Leaders of the European
Union also condemned Putin’s move and said they would impose sanctions on those
involved.Immediately after the speech, state television showed Mr. Putin at the
Kremlin signing decrees recognizing the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s
Republics, which were created after Russia fomented a separatist war in eastern
Ukraine in 2014. Mr. Putin also signed “friendship and mutual assistance” treaties,
raising the possibility that Russia could move some of the forces it has built up
around Ukraine’s borders into those territories.Mr. Putin’s speech laid out such a
broad case against Ukraine — describing its pro-Western government as a dire threat
to Russia and to Russians — that he appeared to be laying the groundwork to take
action beyond simply recognizing two small breakaway republics.“As for those who
captured and are holding on to power in Kyiv: We demand that they immediately cease
military action,” Mr. Putin said at the end of his nearly hourlong speech,
referring to the Ukrainian capital. “If not, the complete responsibility for the
possibility of a continuation of bloodshed will be fully and wholly on the
conscience of the regime ruling the territory of Ukraine.”It was a thinly veiled
threat against the government of President Volodymyr Zelensky, which denies
responsibility for the escalating shelling on the front line between Ukrainian
forces and Russia-backed separatists in recent days. Russian state television has
broadcast extensive reports claiming that Ukraine is preparing an offensive against
the separatist territories — claims that Kyiv denies.By seeking to redraw the post-
Cold War boundaries of Europe and force Ukraine back into Moscow’s orbit, Mr. Putin
is attempting nothing less than to upend the security structure that has helped
maintain an uneasy peace on the continent for the past three decades.Mr. Putin’s
speech began with an extensive recitation of his historical grievances, starting
with claims that Ukraine owes its statehood to the Soviet Union. “Modern-day
Ukraine was in full and in whole created by Russia, Bolshevik, Communist Russia to
be precise,” he said.Not only was Ukraine rejecting its shared past with Russia, he
said, but it was enabling American ambitions of weakening Russia by aspiring to
membership in the NATO alliance.“Why was it necessary to make an enemy out of us?”
Mr. Putin said, repeating his long-held grievances about NATO’s eastward expansion.
“They didn’t want such a large, independent country as Russia. In this lies the
answer to all questions.”Beyond his intensive history lesson — which would be
disputed by many Ukrainians, who see themselves as a separate country with their
own identity — the Russian president said little about his next steps. And he did
not address the fact that the separatist “people’s republics” claim about three
times as much territory as they currently control.Some analysts have speculated
that Mr. Putin could use Russian troops to capture more Ukrainian territory on
behalf of those republics. But his veiled threat against Kyiv appeared to signal
that he was prepared to threaten Mr. Zelensky’s government directly — a scenario
that American officials have said is a possibility given the size of Mr. Putin’s
troop buildup to Ukraine’s north, east and south.— Anton Troianovski and Valerie
Hopkins Putin’s speech came after a day of escalating, choreographed action on
Ukraine.ImageUkrainian soldiers on the front lines in Luhansk Oblast on
Monday.Credit...Tyler Hicks/The New York TimesPresident Vladimir V. Putin’s speech
to Russians late Monday came after a carefully choreographed day of building drama
over the fate of Ukraine.Russian state television offered extensive reports of
Ukrainian shelling against civilian targets in the separatist regions. Ukraine
denied it.The Russian military claimed it had killed five Ukrainian “saboteurs” who
had ventured on to Russian territory. Ukraine also denied this.And Russian
television broadcast videotaped appeals from the two leaders of separatist
republics in eastern Ukraine pleading with Mr. Putin to recognize their
independence. The Kremlin then released footage of senior officials at the Security
Council meeting explaining why Mr. Putin should recognize the two regions.In his
speech, he did just that.But at the Security Council meeting earlier, Viktor V.
Zolotov, Mr. Putin’s former body guard and the head of Russia’s National Guard,
hinted that the Kremlin needed to do still more. Control of just Ukraine’s eastern
regions might not be enough to eliminate the threat posed by Ukraine’s pro-Western
shift.“We don’t have a border with Ukraine — we have a border with America, because
they are the masters in that country,” Mr. Zolotov said. “Of course we must
recognize the republics, but I want to say that we must go farther in order to
defend our country.”— Anton Troianovski and Valerie Hopkins AdvertisementContinue
reading the main storyWhy it matters that Russia just recognized Donetsk and
Luhansk.ImageA woman at the border crossing between Russia and the separatist
Donetsk People’s Republic in Avilo-Uspenka, Russia, on Saturday.Credit...Sergey
Ponomarev for The New York TimesPresident Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has
recognized the independence of two separatist regions in Ukraine, a move many fear
may be the spark for a Russian military intervention against Ukraine.The act of
recognition is fraught with meaning because the borders claimed by the Russia-
backed leaders of the two breakaway regions, Donetsk and Luhansk, extend beyond
territory they now control,
and spill over into space controlled by the Ukrainian army.
BELARUS
RUSSIA
POL.
Kyiv
UKRAINE
ROMANIA
Approximate
line separating
Ukrainian and
Russian-backed
forces
Area of
detail
Luhansk
CRIMEA
Black Sea
Donetsk
UKRAINE
RUSSIA
50 MILES
Sea of Azov
50 MILES
Approximate
line separating
Ukrainian and
Russian-backed
forces
UKRAINE
Luhansk
Donetsk
RUSSIA
Sea of Azov
RUSSIA
Kyiv
UKRAINE
Area of
detail
ROMANIA
CRIMEA
Black Sea
Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in EuropeBy Scott
ReinhardRussia’s recognition of the two regions, the so-called Donetsk People’s
Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic, could allow separatist leaders to request
military help from Russia, further easing a path for a military offensive,
Ukrainian officials say. Ukraine would likely interpret that as Russian troops
entering Ukrainian territory.The conflict in the separatist regions began in 2014,
when rebels loyal to Russia seized government buildings in Donetsk and Luhansk,
beginning a long trench war with Ukrainian forces. More than 13,000 people have
died in fighting in the region since.Andrés R. Martínez contributed reporting.—
Valerie Hopkins and Andrew E. Kramer ‘Putin just put Kafka and Orwell to shame’:
World leaders condemn Putin.ImageUrsula von der Leyen, president of the European
Commission, speaking at the Munich Security Conference on
Saturday.Credit...Alexandra Beier/Getty ImagesEuropean leaders were quick to
condemn President Vladimir V. Putin over his intention to recognize the
independence of two Russia-backed territories in eastern Ukraine, the Donetsk
People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic.President Emmanuel Macron of France
“The president of the Republic condemns the decision taken by the president of the
Russian Federation to recognize the separatist regions of eastern Ukraine. This is
clearly a unilateral violation of Russia’s international commitments and an attack
on the sovereignty of Ukraine. He calls for an urgent meeting of the United Nations
Security Council as well as the adoption of targeted European sanctions.”From the
European Union: Charles Michel, president of the European Council, and Ursula von
der Leyen, president of the European Commission“President Michel and President von
der Leyen condemn in the strongest possible terms the decision by the Russian
president to proceed with the recognition of the nongovernment controlled areas of
Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine as independent entities. This step is a
blatant violation of international law as well as of the Minsk agreements. The
Union will react with sanctions against those involved in this illegal act. The
Union reiterates its unwavering support to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and
territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.”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.The EU and its partners will react with unity, firmness and with
determination in solidarity with Ukraine.— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen)
February 21, 2022
António Guterres, the secretary general of the United Nations through his
spokesperson“The secretary general is greatly concerned by the decision by the
Russian Federation related to the status of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk
regions of Ukraine. He calls for the peaceful settlement of the conflict in eastern
Ukraine, in accordance with the Minsk Agreements, as endorsed by the Security
Council in resolution 2202 (2015). The secretary general considers the decision of
the Russian Federation to be a violation of the territorial integrity and
sovereignty of Ukraine and inconsistent with the principles of the Charter of the
United Nations. The United Nations, in line with the relevant General Assembly
resolutions, remains fully supportive of the sovereignty, independence and
territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders.
The secretary general urges all relevant actors to focus their efforts on ensuring
an immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians and civilian
infrastructure, preventing any actions and statements that may further escalate the
dangerous situation in and around Ukraine and prioritizing diplomacy to address all
issues peacefully.”Liz Truss, Britain’s foreign secretary“President Putin’s
recognition of the ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ and ‘Luhansk People’s Republic’ as
independent states show’s flagrant disregard for Russia’s commitments under the
Minsk Agreements. This step represents a further attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty
and territorial integrity, signals an end to the Minsk process and is a violation
of the U.N. charter. It demonstrates Russia’s decision to choose a path of
confrontation over dialogue.We will coordinate our response with the allies. We
will not allow Russia’s violation of its international committments to go
unpunished.”Jens Stoltenberg, director general NATO“I condemn Russia’s decision to
extend recognition to the self-proclaimed ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ and ‘Luhansk
People’s Republic.’ This further undermines Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial
integrity, erodes efforts toward a resolution of the conflict, and violates the
Minsk Agreements, to which Russia is a party.”Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė of
Lithuania“Putin just put Kafka and Orwell to shame: no limits to dictator’s
imagination, no lows too low, no lies too blatant, no red lines too red to cross.
What we witnessed tonight might seem surreal for democratic world. But the way we
respond will define us for the generations to come.”— The New York Times
AdvertisementContinue reading the main storyHighlights from Putin’s address on
breakaway regions in Ukraine.ImageA woman in St. Petersburg, Russia, watching
President Vladimir Putin address the nation on Monday.Credit...Anatoly Maltsev/EPA,
via ShutterstockIt was a seminal, hourlong speech that threatened to clear the way
for war. On Monday night President Vladimir V. Putin said he would recognize the
independence of two Russia-backed territories in eastern Ukraine, setting the stage
for the possibility of Russian military action against Ukraine.Here are excerpts
from his address, which he said was also directed to his “compatriots” in
Ukraine.“Why was it necessary to make an enemy out of us?” Mr. Putin asked,
repeating his long-held grievances about NATO’s eastward expansion. “They didn’t
want such a large, independent country as Russia. In this lies the answer to all
questions.”“We clearly understand that in such a scenario, the degree of military
threat to Russia will rise cardinally, by multiple times,” Mr. Putin said of the
potential of Ukraine joining NATO. “If our ancestors heard about this, they would
probably not believe it. And we don’t want to believe it. But that’s how it
is.”“Let me emphasize once again that Ukraine for us is not just a neighboring
country. It is an integral part of our own history, culture, spiritual space,” Mr.
Putin said, referring to Ukraine’s importance to Russia. “These are our comrades,
relatives, among whom are not only colleagues, friends, former colleagues, but also
relatives, people connected with us by blood, family ties.”“We are being
blackmailed, they are threatening us with sanctions. But I think they will impose
those sanctions,” he said referring to possible repercussions of Russian action. “A
new pretext will always be found or fabricated. Irrespective of the situation in
Ukraine,” he added. “The purpose is single: to keep Russia behind, to prevent it
from developing. And they will do it before even without any formal pretext. Just
because we exist. We will never give up our sovereignty, national interest, and our
values.”“The so-called civilized world, the representatives of the self-proclaimed
western colleagues, they act as if they do not notice anything. As if nothing is
happening, as if this nightmare did not exist.” — Valerie Hopkins Oil prices rose
along with tensions over a conflict, and stocks dropped around the world, including
in Russia.ImageGazprom Neft’s oil refinery in Omsk, Russia.Credit...Alexey
Malgavko/ReutersOil prices rose and stock markets around the world sank on Monday
amid rising concerns of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.The price of oil rose more
than 3 percent, with the American oil benchmark, West Texas Intermediate, up to
about $94 a barrel on Monday afternoon and the global Brent benchmark at about $96.
Prices were essentially flat last week, but grew volatile over the weekend as
tensions between Russia and Western nations escalated.The Stoxx 600 Europe index
fell 1.3 percent. Japan’s Nikkei and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng indexes were also both
down. Russia’s benchmark index, the MOEX, fell 10.5 percent. Markets were closed in
the United States on Monday for Presidents’ Day, but S&P 500 futures were also
lower.In an impassioned speech on Monday, President Vladimir V. Putin said he would
recognize the independence of two Russia-backed territories in eastern Ukraine,
while also making the case that Ukraine itself is historically an integral part of
Russia. Many fear that the speech and the decision to formally recognize the
independence of the separatist regions may lay the groundwork for a Russian
military intervention against Ukraine.The prospect of an invasion has already taken
an economic toll, weighing on stock prices and driving up oil prices in recent
weeks. But all-out military action could send energy and food prices soaring, fuel
inflation fears and spook investors, threatening investment and economic growth
globally.— Niraj Chokshi AdvertisementContinue reading the main storyBelarus says
Russian troops might not leave unless NATO pulls back from Eastern Europe.ImageAn
armored vehicle moving through a military training site during joint exercises
between Russia and Belarus near Baranovichi, Belarus, on Saturday.Credit...Emile
Ducke for The New York TimesA day after Belarus and Russia extended their large-
scale military drills near Ukraine’s border, the Belarus Defense Ministry signaled
on Monday that Russian troops could remain in the country indefinitely.The message
was delivered in a statement by the ministry that said that the withdrawal of
Russian troops could depend in large measure on NATO forces first pulling back from
countries near Russia and Belarus.The Defense Ministry, echoing arguments from its
Russian allies, described NATO’s presence in Eastern Europe as “aggressive and
unfounded,” and said it “increases the likelihood of armed conflict.” Belarus
borders NATO members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.The statement offered a clear
indication of the close military cooperation Belarus has offered to Russia as
Moscow amasses troops on three sides of Ukraine. NATO estimates that Russia has
deployed 30,000 troops to Belarus for major combat exercises, including near
Ukraine’s northern border, close to the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.The Belarus Defense
Ministry announced on Sunday that joint military exercises that began this month
would continue because of what it described as increased military activity on
Belarus’ borders and insecurity in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas.The
announcement was not a surprise to many Western officials, who have warned that the
Kremlin could be using military exercises as a cover for preparing an attack
against Ukraine, as it did before Russian troops seized the Crimean Peninsula in
2014.NATO says the exercises in Belarus constitute Moscow’s largest deployment in
the country’s territory since the end of the Cold War. The United States believes
Russia has as many as 190,000 troops in or near Ukraine.The statement on Monday
said the removal of NATO forces from Eastern Europe and Belarus’ borders was just
one factor that would determine when or if Russian troops withdraw.“Belarus has the
right to demand the withdrawal of the created groupings of U.S. troops and
individual NATO member countries from the borders of the Republic of Belarus and
the Union State,” the statement said, referring to a putative state of Russia and
Belarus.“The Russian Armed Forces’ units will return to their permanent bases only
when an objective need for that arises and when we decide,” said the statement,
quoting Viktor Gulevich, Belarus’ first deputy minister of defense.The U.S.
announced on Friday it planned to sell more tanks to Poland in a sign of NATO
solidarity. Mr. Putin says NATO’s expansion east since the collapse of the Soviet
Union in 1991 into countries bordering Russia is a provocative act that must be
reversed.— Matthew Mpoke Bigg NEWS ANALYSISUkraine’s president accuses the West of
‘appeasement,’ drawing a lesson from Europe’s past.ImagePresident Volodymyr
Zelensky of Ukraine speaking at the Munich Security Conference on
Saturday.Credit...Pool photo by Ronald WittekMUNICH — The Munich Security
Conference convened this weekend under the banner of “Unlearning Helplessness.” The
phrase had ominous echoes, with
Russia threatening Ukraine, and Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, drove
them home by accusing the West of appeasement.“It was here 15 years ago that Russia
announced its intention to challenge global security,” Mr. Zelensky said on
Saturday at the annual gathering of international policymakers. “What did the world
say? Appeasement. Result? At least the annexation of Crimea and aggression against
my state.”Mr. Zelensky’s comments were an allusion to a menacing speech in Munich
in 2007 by President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, which revealed the extent of his
revanchist ire against the United States. Of NATO expansion eastward Mr. Putin said
then: “It represents a serious provocation that reduces the level of mutual trust.
And we have the right to ask: Against whom is this expansion intended?”Since then,
Mr. Putin has taken enough military action in Georgia and Ukraine to freeze the
countries in strategic limbo, as he awaited his moment to avenge the perceived
humiliation of Russia by the West after the Cold War’s end.Appeasement is a word
with a particular resonance in Munich, where in 1938 Neville Chamberlain, the
British prime minister, agreed to allow Hitler to annex part of what was then
Czechoslovakia to “protect” ethnic Germans there, in exchange for a promise of
peace. Mr. Chamberlain declared “peace in our time” on his return to London.But
nobody mentioned that at a conference whose mission has been to ensure that the
lessons of the 20th century, and its two world wars, are learned.— Roger Cohen
AdvertisementContinue reading the main storyU.S. says Russia has a list of
Ukrainians to kill or detain after an invasion.ImageA march in Odessa, Ukraine, on
Sunday marked the eighth anniversary of the 2014 protests that led to the ouster of
President Viktor F. Yanukovych, an ally of President Vladimir V. Putin of
Russia.Credit...Brendan Hoffman for The New York TimesWASHINGTON — The United
States government has sent a letter to the United Nations human rights chief in
Geneva saying it has “credible information” that Russian forces have compiled a
list of Ukrainian citizens to be killed or sent to detention camps in the aftermath
of a Russian invasion and occupation of the country, according to a copy of the
letter obtained Sunday by The New York Times.The letter, which was addressed to
Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, also said
Russian forces planned to carry out widespread human rights violations, which in
the past have included torturing and kidnapping civilians.The likely targets would
be people opposed to Russian actions, including dissidents from Russia and Belarus
living in Ukraine, journalists, anti-corruption activists and members of ethnic and
religious minorities and the L.G.B.T.Q. community.“We also have credible
information that Russian forces will likely use lethal measures to disperse
peaceful protests or otherwise counter peaceful exercises of perceived resistance
from civilian populations,” said the letter, which was signed by Bathsheba Nell
Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations office in Geneva.Three U.S.
officials confirmed the authenticity of the letter and its contents. On Monday,
Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesman, denied the existence of such a list.
“This is absolutely made up,” he told reporters. “There is no such list. This is a
fake.”Foreign Policy first reported Friday on U.S. agencies having intelligence
about a Russian “kill list,” and the Washington Post first reported on the letter
on Sunday.The letter noted that U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken had
raised the human rights concerns to the United Nations Security Council when he
addressed that body on Thursday. “In particular, he stated that the United States
has information that indicates Russia will target specific groups of Ukrainians,”
the letter said.In that session, Mr. Blinken told Russian officials they could
prove their peaceful intentions to the world by not invading Ukraine and addressing
their grievances through diplomacy instead. Mr. Blinken plans to meet Sergey V.
Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, in Europe this Thursday, unless Russia
invades Ukraine first.President Biden and Mr. Blinken have said U.S. intelligence
indicates Russian President Vladimir V. Putin has already decided to invade. In
recent weeks, Mr. Putin has amassed as many as 190,000 troops around Ukraine.
Russia-backed insurgents in the east have increased their artillery shelling of
Ukrainian military forces in recent days.Mr. Putin invaded parts of Ukraine in 2014
and annexed the country’s Crimean Peninsula. Mr. Biden has promised to impose harsh
economic sanctions on Russia if Mr. Putin carries out another invasion.— Edward
Wong, Julian E. Barnes and Anton Troianovski Blitzkrieg or minor incursion? Putin’s
choice could determine world’s reaction.ImageThe Russian Defense Ministry in
Moscow.Credit...Sergey Ponomarev for The New York TimesPresident Vladimir V.
Putin’s strategic choices on Ukraine over the next few weeks may make a huge
difference in how the world reacts.An invasion could take many forms: one enormous
nationwide attack; a series of bites that dismantle the country, piece by piece; or
a python-like squeeze. That last option is made all the easier with the news Sunday
morning that Belarus is allowing Russian troops to remain indefinitely, where they
can menace Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. Mr. Putin might be betting that he can
shatter Ukraine’s economy and oust its government without having to immediately
roll in tanks.If he strikes to take the whole country in a single blow — the
approach that senior American military and intelligence officials and many outside
analysts now think is the most likely — it could provoke the largest, most violent
battle for European territory since the Nazi surrender in 1945.There is little
question that the full package of sanctions and technology export cutoffs would be
invoked almost immediately. International condemnation would follow, though Mr.
Putin may be betting that it would not last long, and that the world would
gradually get accustomed to a new, larger Russia reconstituting the sphere of
influence that was once the hallmark of the old Soviet Union.— David E. Sanger Site
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