Russian military vehicles roll through outskirts of Donetsk after Putin orders troops into Ukraine
by Tyler O'Neil - FOX News
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Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian troops into the two breakaway regions of Ukraine after recognizing their independence, The Wall Street Journal reported. The Russian government's legal portal published his two decrees following a televised address late Monday.
An emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council convened, with the United States and allies seeking to isolate Russia and condemning the deployment of Russian troops. Ukraine requested the late-night meeting.
Witness sees Russian tanks on outskirts of Donetsk
A witness sent Reuters footage of columns of military vehicles, including tanks and APCs, moving on the outskirts of Donetsk early on Tuesday.
Donetsk is one of the two breakaway regions that Putin recognized on Monday. This move seems to comport with Putin's orders.
Russian troops arrive in Ukraine regions, unconfirmed report
Russian forces have arrived in Ukraine's breakaway regions, European leaders suggested Tuesday morning.
When asked whether Putin's decision to order Russian troops into these regions amounts to an invasion, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said, "I wouldn’t say that’s a fully fledged invasion, but Russian troops are on Ukrainian soil."
Britain's defense secretary, Ben Wallace, warned of worrying signs that Russia has begun to move forces into Ukraine. He admitted that reports of military equipment moving into Ukraine's Donbas region need to be verified, however.
Putin, in new video, calls Russia’s core interests ‘non-negotiable’ but says it’s open to ‘honest dialogue’
By Dom Calicchio | Fox News
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Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a video address Wednesday, asserted that the country’s core interests were "non-negotiable" amid tensions with Ukraine – and with the U.S. and other Western nations.
But Putin also said Russia was "always open for direct and honest dialogue," and was willing to address "the most difficult issues" through diplomacy, according to reports.
Putin’s remarks came on Defenders of the Fatherland Day, the Russian equivalent of Veterans Day in the United States, according to Max Seddon, Moscow bureau chief of The Financial Times of Britain.
The comments also came as Putin – and what actions he might take next -- continued to be the focus of the globe as some 150,000 Russian troops remained close to Russia’s border with Ukraine and as the U.S. and the West announced sanctions intended to punish Moscow for what they see as unprovoked aggression against a sovereign nation.
"The interests of Russia, the security of our citizens, are non-negotiable for us," Putin says in the video, according to The Australian newspaper.
"Our country stays open for direct and honest dialog for the search of diplomatic solutions for the most complex issues," Putin continued, according to an English translation in a video posted on Twitter by Britain’s Sky News. "But I will repeat: Russia’s interests, our citizens’ safety, are absolute. So we will continue strengthening and developing our army and navy, increasing their efficiency and providing them with the most advanced equipment."
On Tuesday, President Biden announced new sanctions against Russia, citing what he described as "the beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine," following reports of Russian troops entering two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine.
In addition to amassed Russian troops, Biden said signs of Russia moving supplies of medical equipment and blood to the Ukraine border region were indications that Russia planned further military action.
"You don’t need blood unless you plan on starting a war," Biden said.
Sanctions, if Russia doesn't pull back, will include the halting of the Nord Stream 2 fuel pipeline project between Russia and Germany, Biden added.
On Tuesday night, Russia claimed it had launched diplomatic relations with the breakaway regions in Ukraine. Putin also told reporters that Russia wanted Ukraine to drop its plans to join NATO and instead remain a neutral country, The Australian reported.
Early Wednesday, Japan and Australia announced their own plans for sanctions against Russia, the newspaper reported, with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison referring to members of Russia’s security council as "thugs and bullies," the report said.