World leaders condemn Russian decision on Ukraine

Western powers reacted swiftly to Monday's decision by Russian President Vladimir Putin to recognise the independence of the two self-proclaimed republics in eastern Ukraine, condemning Moscow and calling for sanctions.

Here is a summary of the responses so far:

The leaders of France, Germany and the United States condemn Putin's move as a "clear breach" of the Minsk peace agreements.

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and US President Joe Biden agree that "this step will not go unanswered".

US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield heaps scorn on Putin's assertion that the Russian troops would take on a "peacekeeping" role.

"This is nonsense. We know what they really are," she says.

The US envoy says an earlier speech by Putin amounts to a "series of outrageous, false claims" that were aimed at "creating a pretext for war".

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres says Russia's decision amounts to "a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and inconsistent with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations".

Also read: UK to immediately impose hard economic sanctions on Russia: Johnson

European Union foreign ministers are on Tuesday to adopt sanctions against Russia over its recognition of the separatist regions and a further deployment of troops on its neighbour's territory, the bloc's foreign policy chief says.

"Our response will be in the form of sanctions," Josep Borrell says.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz says he is suspending the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project with Russia in response to Moscow's recognition of the two breakaway regions.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slams the recognition as "unacceptable".

Erdogan, who has friendly ties with both Russia and Ukraine, has sought to host the two countries' leaders for a three-way summit in Turkey.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi attacks Russia's recognition of the rebel republics and warned EU sanctions would follow.

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for targeted EU sanctions against Moscow, as well as an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson denounces Putin's decision as "a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of the Ukraine".

A "very robust package of sanctions" would be triggered "with the first toecap of a Russian incursion or Russian invasion", he adds.

Also read: Why Vladimir Putin is so confident in his Ukraine strategy – he has a trump card in China

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg says Russia's decision "further undermines Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity".

"It is also trying to stage a pretext to invade Ukraine once again," he adds.

Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel, the European Union's two most senior figures, on Twitter condemn Putin's move as "a blatant violation of international law".

"The EU and its partners will react with unity, firmness and with determination in solidarity with Ukraine," they add.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic says there are fears that the Ukraine crisis "could spread in other parts of Europe and the world, especially on the Western Balkans".

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says Russia's actions "cannot be tolerated".

"If an invasion occurs, we will coordinate a strong response, including sanctions, coordinating with the G7 and the international community while closely monitoring the situation," he said.

Beijing -- one of Russia's closest allies -- does not take sides, instead calling for all parties to "avoid any action that may fuel tensions".

"The current situation in Ukraine is a result of many complex factors," China's UN ambassador Zhang Jun tells the UN security council.

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