VLADIMIR Putin has ordered his troops into Ukraine after an incendiary speech declaring the besieged nation “belongs to Russia”.
The Russian strongman signed a decree recognising the Donetsk and Luhansk rebel republic in east Ukraine in a move which destroyed peace hopes.
And eyewitnesses spotted huge columns of troops moving through Donetsk even before Putin finished his rambling address.
Putin signed off orders to parliament which made Russia the first country in the world to recognise the two mini-states created when he orchestrated a land grab in 2014.
The last paragraph of his orders to parliament said he was ordering Russian armed forces to “provide peacekeeping on the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republic”.
Unverified footage posted as the Russian president was still speaking in Moscow showed huge columns of vehicles, apparently moving onto Ukrainian soil.
Other footage obtained by Al-Jazeera appeared to show the entry of Russian military convoys into the separatist areas of eastern Ukraine.
Soon after, Ukrainian government sources said eyewitnesses in Makeevka, Donetsk had seen “a huge convoy of Russian APCs and other unidentified equipment moving for one hour and a half in the direction of Yasinuvata”.
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The sources later clarified that the witnesses could not be certain that the troops seen were Russian.
But Yasinuvata is just nine miles from the 250-mile First World War-style “contact line” of trenches which has separated Ukrainian and pro-Russian separatists for the past eight years.
In a further alarming development, Russia’s parliament was also said to be adopting plans to build military bases in self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk – and stay for 10 years.
The moves sparked a mass mobilisation of forces in Ukraine – where a bloody resistance campaign looks certain to erupt if Russian troops push further.
Putin’s rant was a slap in the face for Western peace brokers and dashed hopes of diplomatic solution through a summit with US President Joe Biden.
And it ramped up tension further with The West amid fears of a global World War III escalation.
Boris Johnson will chair a Cobra meeting first thing on Tuesday to coordinate Britain’s response – including tough new sanctions on Russia.
‘A REAL POSSIBILITY’
A No10 spokeswoman said: “The Prime Minister will chair a COBRA meeting at 630am tomorrow morning to discuss the latest developments in Ukraine and to coordinate the UK response including agreeing a significant package of sanctions to be introduced immediately.”
Mr Johnson has spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to pledge Britain’s steadfast support in the face of Russia’s aggression.
The No10 spokeswoman said the PM believes an invasion is “a real possibility in the coming hours and days”.
She added: “The Prime Minister strongly condemned the Kremlin’s decision today to recognise Luhansk and Donetsk as independent states, and said the move made the Minsk agreements and process unworkable.
“He added that the UK was already engaging with partners on the issue and said the UK would raise it at the United Nations Security Council and Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe in the coming days.
“He told President Zelenskyy that the UK had already drawn up sanctions to target those complicit in the violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and that those measures would come into force tomorrow.
“The Prime Minister also said he would explore sending further defensive support to Ukraine, at the request of the Ukrainian Government.
“The leaders agreed that the West needed to support Ukraine in the event of an invasion but should continue to pursue a diplomatic solution until the last possible second.
“Regardless of President Putin’s actions, the UK would be steadfast in its full support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the Prime Minister said.”
BOND VILLAIN SPEECH
Putin justified his decision in a far-reaching, pre-recorded speech blaming NATO for the current crisis and calling the US-led alliance an existential threat to Russia.
Putin said America was “pumping” weapons into Ukraine and accused Kyiv of creating “weapons of mass destruction.”
Sweeping through more than a century of history, he painted today Ukraine as a modern construct that is inextricably linked to Russia.
He charged that Ukraine had inherited Russias historic lands and after the Soviet collapse was used by the West to contain Russia.
In his address to the nation, Putin said: “We demand that those who seized power in Kyiv immediately stop hostilities, otherwise, the responsibility for the continuing bloodshed will rest entirely with the Ukrainian regime.”
The live television feed then cut to footage of him signing two decrees – one recognising the Donetsk People’s Republic and the other recognising the independence of the Luhansk People’s Republic.
As a full-scale conflict looms, US officials revealed warnings had been sent to Russian political opponents on a Kremlin “kill or capture” list amid fears Kremlin hit squads already in Ukraine would be activated.
It was unclear last night whether Russian forces would focus solely on the eastern rebel-held areas which they could enter with impunity.
But the hawkish and bellicose tone of Putin’s rant suggested he could go for an all-out conquest and begin blitzing capital Kyiv within hours.
BIDEN CONDEMNS PUTIN
It comes as Joe Biden“strongly condemned” Putin’s decision to recognise the independence of the states as he reassured President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of the US’ “commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
A statement from the White House said: “President Biden strongly condemned Russian President Putin’s decision to purportedly recognise the ‘independence’ of the so-called DNR and LNR region of Ukraine.
“He updated President Zelenskyy on the United States’ response, including our plan to issue sanctions.
“President Biden reiterated that the United States would respond swiftly and decisively, in lock-step with its Allies and partners, to further Russian aggression against Ukraine.”
A spokesperson for the White House said: “We plan to announce new sanctions on Russia tomorrow in response to Moscow’s decisions and actions today. We are coordinating with Allies and partners on that announcement.”
UNITED STATES ISSUES SANCTIONS
Biden issued an executive order banning US investment or trade within the two countries. Meanwhile, the State Department has reportedly ordered remaining staff to leave Ukraine for Poland.
More sanctions are likely to follow on Tuesday, said a White House official.
The diplomats are expected to return on Tuesday if an invasion isn’t launched.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the decision was made to stop Russia from “profiting off of this blatant violation of international law.”
“Russia’s move to recognize the “independence” of so-called republics controlled by its own proxies is a predictable, shameful act,” he wrote on Twitter.
“We condemn them in the strongest possible terms and #StandWithUkraine,”
The UK will also announce new sanctions against the country for violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine, said the UK ambassador.
The ambassador to Ireland told the UNSC that Russia’s recognition of separatist regions in Eastern Europe constituted a “flagrant violation of international law.”
