Russian President Vladimir Putin has told foreign leaders that Moscow is likely to officially recognize the sovereignty of the the two breakaway regions in Ukraine's war-torn east.
In a statement released on Monday, the Kremlin revealed that Putin had notified French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that he intends to sign a decree recognizing the Donetsk (DPR) and Lugansk (LPR) People’s Republics “in the near future.” According to officials, both Macron and Scholz “expressed their disappointment with this development.”
Biden to issue sanctions after Putin declares independence for portions of Ukraine
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said President Biden will issue an initial wave of sanctions against Russia after Russian President Putin declared independence for the Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic regions in eastern Ukraine.
Psaki said:
“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. This E.O. will also provide authority to impose sanctions on any person determined to operate in those areas 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.”
President Vladimir Putin ordered his defense ministry to despatch Russian peacekeepers to eastern Ukraine's two breakaway regions, according to a decree published early on Tuesday after he said Moscow would recognize their independence.
Putin earlier signed decrees to recognize the two breakaway regions -- the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and the Lugansk People's Republic -- as independent statelets.
Read more: Putin Orders Russian Peacekeepers to Eastern Ukraine's 2 Breakaway Regions | Newsmax.com