Action. reactions. Canada, the United States and the European Union united once morest Moscow on Tuesday in response to what increasingly looks like the “beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine”, according to the White House, by announcing a series of major economic sanctions targeting Russia.
“These sanctions mark an important step and target those responsible for violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a press conference at the end of the day. They will remain in place until the territorial integrity of Ukraine is restored. »
The decision did not seem to shake Vladimir Putin. The day following the recognition of the independence of two pro-Russian regions of Ukrainethe head of the Kremlin declared null and void the peace agreements negotiated with the former Soviet republic for these territories in the east of the country occupied since 2014, and announced the establishment of diplomatic ties with the “republics” of Donetsk and of Lugansk, not recognized by the international community.
The measure aims to establish “comprehensive cooperation” with Russia, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and “to strengthen peace, stability and security” in the region. On Tuesday, the head of the Kremlin also obtained the green light from his Parliament to deploy soldiers in the separatist areas in order to “defend” them once morest what Moscow presents as a possible aggression from Kiev. A propaganda considered worrying by NATO, which described the current escalation by the voice of its secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, as “the most dangerous moment for European security for a generation”.
But the most spectacular measure remains that announced by Berlin, which froze the gigantic Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, supposed to double Germany’s supply of Russian gas thanks to a 1,230 kilometer tube under the Baltic Sea with a capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the project, which has been a source of tension within the European Union and with the United States for years, will be subject to a political “reassessment” by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. economy due to the new “geopolitical situation”.
Slim hope of reconciliation
For Justin Trudeau, “Vladimir Putin underestimated the firmness of the response of the international community” in the face of an invasion of Ukraine which “will cost him dearly”. However, he said he hoped that a diplomatic solution would still be found to prevent the crisis from sinking further.
A hope shared by US President Joe Biden to avoid “the worst-case scenario” in Ukraine, “which would inflict enormous suffering on millions of people”. “We will judge Russia by its deeds, not its words. And whatever Russia does next, we stand ready to respond with unity, clarity and conviction. I hope that the diplomatic channel will remain open,” he added.
But this path, following several weeks of futile discussions between Moscow and the West, is increasingly fragile. On Tuesday, the head of the American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, said that he would not meet this week as planned with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, following the recognition by Moscow of two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine. “Now that we see that the invasion has started and that Russia has clearly rejected any diplomacy, it would make no sense to meet with us at this stage,” he said during a press conference held together with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
With Agence France-Presse
