Russia's upper house on Tuesday, 22 February, voted to allow President Vladimir Putin to use the Russian Army abroad to support the Ukrainian separatists. The decision was backed by 153 senators, with no one voting against or abstaining.
Putin had asked the Federation Council to allow the use of the army outside the country to help the separatists. The separatists have been fighting the Ukrainian army since 2014. Putin also said that the Ukraine peace agreement did not exist anymore and it was best if Ukraine dropped the NATO bid and adopted neutrality.
Meanwhile, NATO Chief Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday said that there was 'every indication' that Russia was planning a full-scale attack on Ukraine.
Earlier in the day, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that as a long-feared Russian invasion of Ukraine appeared imminent, he would stop the approval process of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia, in view of the crisis.
Amid escalating tensions, the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stated that the foreign ministers would adopt sanctions against Russia on Tuesday.
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalated on Monday after President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian forces into the separatist regions of eastern Ukraine.
Putin’s directive came hours after he recognised the independence of two rebel-held areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk in Ukraine – a controversial move that the West had warned Russia against. The US imposed sanctions on Russia soon after Putin's announcement.
Underscoring the urgency, the UN Security Council set a rare night-time emergency meeting on Monday.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, sought to project calm, telling the country: “We are not afraid of anyone or anything. We don’t owe anyone anything. And we won’t give anything to anyone.”
The US, meanwhile, announced sanctions on the Russia-backed regions, blocking trade and investment.
Biden said he would consider having direct talks with Putin if Moscow did not attack Kyiv.
Putin has blamed NATO for "pumping modern weapons and ammunition" into Ukraine and warned against Ukraine joining NATO, a move it feels brings Western Europe closer to the Russian borders.
Both NATO and Ukraine have rejected this demand.
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