MOSCOW (AP) – Russian President President Vladimir Putin has recognized the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine.
The move will severely ratchet up tensions with the West amid fears that his country could invade Ukraine at any moment and use skirmishes as a pretext for an attack.
Putin followed the recognition by ordering forces to “maintain peace” in separatist regions of eastern Ukraine, hours after the Kremlin recognized the area’s independence.
The announcement has raised fears that an invasion may be imminent, if not already underway. But it is not immediately clear when, or whether, Russian troops would enter Ukraine.
The United States and the European Union responded by saying they would impose sanctions.
Putin’s announcement comes after a meeting of the presidential Security Council and paves the way for Russia to openly send troops and weapons to the long-running conflict pitting Ukrainian forces against Moscow-backed rebels.
A 2015 peace deal ended large-scale fighting, but violence has simmered and has seen a spike in recent weeks amid the wider crisis.
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