Russian troops enter the Donbas in the face of Western rejection

Russian President Vladimir Putin's almost hour-long speech recognising the independence of the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk is already part of contemporary history for what this decision means and for its possible consequences. In addition to recognising the autonomy of Ukraine's separatist regions, Putin also slammed NATO, the United States and the government in Kiev, which he described as Washington's "puppet regime". "The United States and NATO have shamelessly begun to exploit Ukraine as a theatre of possible military operations," he said.

Another highlight of the speech was Putin's questioning of Ukraine's legitimacy as an independent nation since, he said, the country was created by Lenin, the architect of the Soviet state. "Ukraine for us is not just a neighbouring country. It is an integral part of our own history, culture, spiritual space," he said. For this reason, for Putin, allowing the independence of the peoples that made up the USSR was "a mistake". "We gave these republics the right to leave the Union without terms and conditions. That was madness," he revealed. 

Following the speech that kept much of the international community, particularly Ukraine, on edge, Putin signed a decree to send "peacekeeping troops" to the Donbas region in the presence of the leaders of Donetsk, Denis Pushilin, and Lugansk, Leonid Pasechnik. He urged the Defence Ministry to "guarantee peace" in the separatist enclaves of Donetsk and Lugansk. Shortly afterwards, videos began circulating on social media showing numerous military vehicles entering Donetsk.

The five-point resolution also provides for the establishment of diplomatic relations with the pro-Russian republics, which will be led by Russia's chief diplomat Sergei Lavrov. Putin also presented a 'draft agreement with Donetsk and Lugansk on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance', as reported on the Kremlin's website.

The plan has already been ratified by the Donetsk and Lugansk parliaments, which means that Moscow and the independent regions will cooperate on military and defence issues and devise joint measures to protect the borders of the two republics.

As the pro-Russian citizens of Donetsk and Luhansk celebrated this historic event under fireworks, Russian flags and with the Russian national anthem playing in the background, reactions from the international community began to pour in. The European Union, through a joint statement by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel, condemned Putin's decision and announced that Brussels would respond with sanctions against those involved in this "illegal act" that violates the Minsk Agreements. The High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, warned that the EU will react "with unity, firmness and determination" to Putin's attack. The Spanish diplomat announced that Brussels will adopt the sanctions this very afternoon. 

The United States, for its part, has already decreed a strong economic blockade of the self-proclaimed republics. According to the White House, all US economic activity in the region is prohibited, including investments, imports and exports of goods and services. However, Joe Biden's administration will announce further sanctions against Russia.

Washington has also urged its diplomats to relocate to Poland "for security reasons". Earlier, the US delegation had already moved from Kiev to Lviv, a Ukrainian city in the west of the country near the Polish border. "Our commitment to Ukraine transcends any location," said Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Australia has also followed the US in ordering its diplomats to leave Ukraine because of the "high risk". 

Turkey, a nation that has recently sought rapprochement with Russia, has spoken out, rejecting the independence of the pro-Russian republics. The Foreign Ministry called the move "unacceptable" and reiterated Ankara's commitment to Ukraine's territorial unity in a statement. Despite Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's attempts to reach out to Putin, the Eurasian country has sold several Bayraktar drones to Ukraine, some of which have been used by the Ukrainian army to fight pro-Russian militias. In this regard, however, it is worth noting that Turkey also supported the independence of Northern Cyprus, a state with limited recognition that broke away from Cyprus in 1893.  

The UK has also announced that it will enact 'significant' sanctions against Donetsk, Luhansk and Russia. London is also considering sending more arms to Ukraine. Last month, Boris Johnson's government delivered 2,000 anti-tank weapons to Kiev, reports the Guardian. London's sanctions will be coordinated with those of the EU and other nations that oppose the Kremlin's decision, such as Japan, which has a territorial dispute with Russia over the Kuril Islands in the Pacific. "Our country will closely monitor the situation with great concern and coordinate with the G7 and the international community on tough responses, including sanctions," said Japan's Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi.

Tokyo's stance on the issue differs from that of its Chinese neighbour. The Asian giant has stopped short of condemning Putin's decree, although it has called on "all sides" to exercise restraint and avoid "escalating tensions". Beijing's ambassador to the United Nations, Zhang Jun, said this during an emergency meeting of the Security Council to discuss the issue. "The current situation in Ukraine is the result of many complex factors," Jun said, calling for international disputes to be resolved by "peaceful means in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter".

However, the vast majority of the members who made up the meeting expressed their rejection of Moscow's decision. UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo "deeply regretted" Russia's decision to recognise the independence of Ukrainian separatist republics, as well as "the order to deploy Russian troops in eastern Ukraine". "The coming hours and days will be critical. The risk of major conflict is real and must be avoided at all costs," he added. 

The US representative to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, has accused Russia of creating a pretext to invade Ukraine and called on other countries to defend Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and integrity. French diplomat Nicolas De Riviere said that Moscow had chosen the "path of defiance and confrontation", agreeing with his British counterpart Barbara Woodward, who blamed Putin for bringing the rest of the world "to the brink of the abyss".

In response, Russian diplomat Vassily Nebenzia blamed the US and its Western allies for inciting Kiev, which has massed a military contingent of 120,000 troops along the border with pro-Russian separatists in the east, which Nebenzia described as "an armed provocation". 

Ukrainian ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya, on the one hand, has demanded that Moscow cancel its recognition of the pro-Russian regions, while on the other, he has called on his international allies to defend the country's sovereignty. He stressed that Ukraine's borders have been and will remain "unalterable" regardless of Russia's statements and actions. "We are on our own land. We are not afraid of anything or anyone. We owe nothing to anyone, and we will not give anything away to anyone," he added.

These statements reaffirm the words of Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky, who stressed that they were not afraid of anything or anyone. The Ukrainian leader addressed the nation after Putin's speech and after talking to his partners. Zelensky accused Russia of "violating the sovereignty and national integrity" of Ukraine and, like Kyslytsya, stressed that the borders had not changed.

Shortly after Putin's speech, Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal al-Miqdad endorsed the Russian leader's decision and recognised the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk, the Syrian government news agency SANA reported. "What the West is doing against Russia today is similar to what it did against Syria during the terrorist war," al-Miqdad said. Damascus will thus cooperate with these two regions in various fields. 

Moscow is one of Bashar al-Assad's key allies. Last week, Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoig met in the Syrian capital with the president to discuss military-technical cooperation between the two countries and Russia's humanitarian assistance to Syria, which is subject to US sanctions.

The Donbas war is at a turning point. From now on, Kiev will not face pro-Russian militias, but the Russian army. Putin emphasised this during his speech, warning that if Ukrainian hostilities do not cease, there will be consequences. Moreover, the current situation in Donetsk and Luhansk is similar to that of Transnistria, Kosovo, Abkhazia, South Ossetia or other states with limited recognition. However, like Crimea, the two republics could be annexed to Russia through a referendum and become part of Russian national territory.