This Monday evening, the Russian President Vladimir Poutine recognizes the independence of the two pro-Russian separatist regions in eastern Ukraine.
Western members of the UN Security Council have called for an emergency meeting of this body on Monday evening. While Vladimir Putin immediately announced the dispatch of Russian troops to Donbass, the French president called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, while denouncing a “violation of Russia’s international commitments and an attack on the sovereignty of Ukraine“.
Symbolic request because “there is absolutely no hope that Russia – which has a right of veto – will allow the Security Council to adopt any text. But the paradox is that a permanent member most massively violates the UN Charter. It deserves to be exposed to the international community“, decided the Elysée.
It is up to the rotating presidency of the Council, held in February by Russia, to formally schedule the meeting.
In his letter to his Russian counterpart Vassily Nebenzia, the Ukrainian ambassador to the UN, Sergiy Kyslytsya, relies on the UN Charter and the UN rules of procedure to demand the presence of a representative of Ukraine to this emergency meeting.
The Ukrainian diplomat, in his missive obtained by AFP, also requests that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres participate in the emergency session as well as a representative of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE).
In saying she supported holding an emergency meeting, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the Security Council should “demand that Russia respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, a UN member state“.
“Russia’s announcement is nothing more than theater, apparently intended to create a pretext for another invasion of Ukraine“, she asserted.
The United States prepares the sanctions
Also Monday evening, the United States announced sanctions once morest the separatist regions of eastern Ukraine whose independence Russian President Vladimir Putin has just recognized, and warned that other measures were ready if necessary.
President Biden will “issue an executive order that will prohibit any new investment, trade, or financing by U.S. persons to, from, or within the regions“pro-Russians from Donetsk and Lugansk, said its spokeswoman, Jen Psaki.
“Let it be clear: these measures are separate and would be in addition to the swift and severe economic measures we have prepared in coordination with our allies and partners should Russia further invade Ukraine.“, said the spokeswoman for Joe Biden.
The US executive also described Moscow’s recognition of the independence of the breakaway regions in Ukraine as “gross violationof its international commitments.
However, the Americans remained vague on their response to the dispatch of Russian forces of “maintain the peacein these territories.
The United States willassess“Russia’s next military moves before adopting any new retaliatory measures once morest Moscow,” a senior White House official said following Moscow’s recognition of Ukrainian breakaway territories.
Washington will continue its diplomatic efforts”as long as the Russian tanks are not on the move“, said this senior official, refusing to say explicitly which military maneuvers might be qualified as an invasion.
