This was not a politician convening his team for discussions, this was a supreme leader marshalling his minions and ensuring collective responsibility for a decision that, at minimum, will change the security architecture in Europe, and may well lead to a horrific war that consumes Ukraine.
Putin appeared genuinely angry and passionate in his speech, which he almost certainly wrote himself.
Die Strafmaßnahmen sollen diejenigen treffen, die an der Handlung beteiligt seien, erklärten Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen und Ratspräsident Charles Michel heute Abend.
– Vladimir Putin will recognise Ukraine‘s eastern regions as independent and sign a degree to that effect shortly
– Move would pave the way for Russian troops to roll in, on basis of ‚defending‘ them against Ukrainian ‚threats‘
– Mr Johnson said Putin‘s decision to recognise the two separatist Ukrainian republics was an ‚ill omen‘ and a ‚dark sign‘ that things are moving in the wrong direction
– Putin spoke after an hours-long meeting of Russia‘s security council, with aides laying out the case for war
– Having spent days staging what are widely thought to be false flag attacks and blaming them on Kiev, Kremlin officials presented them as ‚evidence‘ that ethnic Russians are at risk of ‚genocide‘ and must be protected
– All eyes will now turn to Ukraine‘s border regions, where Russian tanks have been spotted in ‚battle formation‘
“On President (Volodymyr) Zelensky’s initiative I officially requested UNSC member states to immediately hold consultations under article 6 of the Budapest memorandum,” Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted, citing the landmark 1994 deal, also signed by Russia, the United States and Britain.
The Kremlin announced Monday that Moscow will recognize the independence of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, a move that Russia could use to justify an attack in those areas.
As reports swirl of an imminent new Iran nuclear deal, Israeli officials on Sunday lashed out at Washington, according to a TV report.
“The Biden administration has turned diplomacy into a religion, and the agreement the US will sign with Tehran is meaningless,” officials quoted by Channel 13 news said.
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke with President Emmanuel Macron of France today. They discussed ongoing diplomacy and deterrence efforts in response to Russia’s military buildup on the borders of Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron at the French side’s initiative.