– 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‘