[News] Putin mulls recognising Ukraine breakaway regions: Live

[_Happy boy]

Link : https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/21/us-warns-of-possible-targeted-killings-by-russia-live-news

ussia’s military says it has prevented a “diversionary reconnaissance” group from breaching the border from Ukraine.

Five troops were killed in the incident, the Russian defence ministry said on Monday, which allegedly took place in Russia’s southwestern Rostov region at about 03:00 GMT.

Kyiv dismissed the allegation as “fake news”.

The exchange came hours after the Kremlin dashed hopes that top-level diplomacy aimed at easing the Ukraine crisis would be imminent, a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden had appeared to agree – in principle – to talks.

Here are all the latest updates:

4 mins ago (17:30 GMT)

Russian foreign minister says Minsk agreements are only way to solve Ukrainian conflict
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock that the Minsk agreements are the only way for long-term regulation of the Ukrainian internal crisis, Russia’s foreign ministry said.

Lavrov, who spoke to Baerbock by phone, said Germany should put pressure on the Ukrainian leadership to prompt it to adopt a more constructive position amid the unfolding crisis in eastern Ukraine, the ministry added.

Ukraine says everyone must focus on de-escalation efforts
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said that after Russian statements on possible recognition of breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, everyone has to focus on de-escalation efforts.

“Everyone realizes consequences. A lot of emotions out there, but it’s exactly now that we all should calmly focus on de-escalation efforts. No other way,” Kuleba tweeted.

Kuleba said he would discuss de-escalation efforts with US Secretary of State on Tuesday during a trip to Washington.

20 mins ago (17:14 GMT)

Russia recognising breakaway Ukraine regions would be ‘deplorable’ -US
It would be “deplorable” if Russia recognised two regions of eastern Ukraine held by Russian-backed separatists as independent, the US ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation (OSCE) in Europe said.

“If carried out, this would again result in the upending of the rules based international order, under the threat of force. This, dear colleagues, is deplorable, and … condemnable. And should be (condemned), by all of us,” Michael Carpenter said in a statement to a meeting of OSCE participating states.

57 mins ago (16:37 GMT)

Biden meets national security team on Russia, Ukraine, official says
US President Joe Biden is meeting his national security team about Russia and Ukraine, a White House official said.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the White House official made the comments after a Reuters eyewitness saw Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and General Mark Milley, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrive at the White House on the US Presidents Day federal holiday.

1 hour ago (16:25 GMT)

UK says unilateral sanctions against Russia would play into Putin’s narrative
British Defence Minister Ben Wallace has warned that imposing sanctions on Russia unilaterally would play into President Putin’s narrative.

Asked by a lawmaker whether it was now time to start imposing sanctions, Wallace said: “If we were to unilaterally deliver them now, and America wasn’t, and the European Union wasn’t, I think there is a danger that President Putin would play into a divide and rule narrative.”

Putin says Russia is considering recognising, not annexing Ukraine’s breakaway regions
President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia was considering recognising the independence of two breakaway Ukrainian regions, but not annexing them and formally adding them to its own territory.

He made the comments during a long televised meeting of Russia’s security council during which all the participants said they backed recognising the independence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic.

2 hours ago (15:55 GMT)

Strong cause to believe Putin still committed to Ukraine invasion: UK’s Wallace
British Defence Minister Ben Wallace has said that there is strong cause to believe that President Putin is still committed to an invasion of Ukraine.

Wallace said there had been a continued increase in troop numbers near the border as well as a “proliferation” of so-called false flag events.

“We’ve seen over the last few weeks, the Russian playbook being implemented in a way that gives a strong cause for concern that President Putin is still committed to an invasion,” Wallace told parliament, urging Putin to rule out an invasion and recommit to a diplomatic process.

2 hours ago (15:44 GMT)

Residents of breakaway regions did not recognise 2014 ‘coup’: Putin
Putin has said that the residents of Donetsk and Luhansk didn’t recognize the 2014 protests in Ukraine that ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanykovych.

The protests are known in Ukraine as “the revolution of dignity,” but Putin has for years called them a “coup.”

“The coup was anti-constitutional and bloody,” he said in televised remarks. “Kyiv authorities conducted two military, punishing operations in these regions,” he said.

He said the ongoing tensions in the region are a “third escalation” masterminded by Kyiv and its Western partners.