Ukrainian President Vladimir Zalinsky said on Tuesday (February 22nd) that he did not think Russia is preparing for a major attack on Ukraine.
Zlansky says he believes there will be no major war against Ukraine and that Russia will not escalate the war, but that if it does, Ukraine will declare martial law.
The White House says President Joe Biden has spoken with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zlansky and reiterated his commitment to the United States and its commitment to Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity.
Hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine as independent states, President Joe Biden announced the imposition of sanctions on both regions.
White House spokeswoman Jane Sackie said in an official statement on Monday (February 21) that President Joe Biden would issue an executive order barring American citizens from investing, doing business and financing activities in the two breakaway regions of Ukraine.
Linda Thomas Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recognition of the independence of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions is an unwarranted attack on Ukraine’s independence and territorial integrity.
The ambassador said this was the third time that all members of the Security Council had said in unison that Russia should not start a war, that Russia should resort to diplomacy, that it should not launch unprovoked attacks on Ukraine. Russia must not violate the basic principles of the United Nations.
Ukraine says it has fired 80 rockets at its security posts in eastern Ukraine on Sunday and eight times on Monday by pro-Russian separatists. Ukraine says it has not fired back.
