Western allies back Ukraine against Russia

• Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared separatist-controlled regions as independent of Ukraine, signaling a plan for war.
• The U.S. and European allies have pledged their support to Ukraine.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also reached out to other global leaders.

Western officials have decried Russian President Vladimir Putin’s declaration to redraw Europe’s borders as a violation of international law and have pledged a strong response.

European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen declared on Twitter that the European Union and its partners “will react with unity, firmness and with determination in solidarity with Ukraine.”

The EU accused Moscow of derailing negotiations between Ukraine’s government in Kiev and pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country.

On Monday, Putin declared the separatist-controlled regions independent of Ukraine, suggesting that Russian forces will be sent into the area known as Donbas.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki has declared that Americans who support separatists will be sanctioned. The Biden administration is also considering placing major sanctions on Russia if it ramps up its interference in Ukraine, where it has been supporting the insurgency since 2014.

The U.K. would also announce new sanctions on Tuesday, according to British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.

Western intelligence reports and national security experts expect that an intense battle will soon break out, and Putin will claim that the Ukrainians have initiated it.

Estonian President Alar Karis wrote on Twitter that Russia is looking for a justification for war.

According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, “Moscow continues to fuel the conflict in eastern Ukraine by providing financial and military support to the separatists. It is also trying to stage a pretext to invade Ukraine once again.”

The conflict in Donbas has already resulted in over 13,000 casualties.

Several Western allies have pledged military support to Ukraine.

The Biden administration has deployed U.S. troops to Ukraine’s neighboring allied countries like Poland and Romania. Russia urged the U.S. to withdraw these troops, but these states are independent, long-standing members of the NATO alliance.

Neither American nor European forces are expected to directly engage in any fighting with Russians and their allies, however.

On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with Biden and stated that he is also reaching out to other global leaders.

Source: HuffPost