Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday evening recognized the independence of pro-Russian separatist regions in eastern Ukraine. Here are the main reactions to this major new step in the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian crisis.
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United nations
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemns the “violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine”, “in contravention of the principles of the UN Charter”.
European Union
The European Union, denouncing the “flagrant violation of international law”, proposed denying the Russian authorities access to European financial markets and services.
It is also about to activate a cyber-attack rapid response team to help Ukraine deal with Russian attacks.
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NATO
NATO announced an emergency meeting of the ambassadors of its 30 member states with a representative of Ukraine on Tuesday.
“The Allies urge Russia, in the strongest terms, to choose the path of diplomacy, to immediately abandon its massive military build-up in and around Ukraine and to withdraw its forces in accordance with its international obligations and obligations,” stated his Secretary. General Jens Stoltenberg.
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
The OSCE is organizing an extraordinary meeting and calling on Moscow to “immediately rescind this decision” which “constitutes a violation of international law and the fundamental principles of the OSCE”.
United State
“We will take our own measures today,” the White House confirmed.
Foreign Minister Anthony Blinken said the Russian decision contradicted Russia’s “commitment to diplomacy”.
China
Beijing has not explicitly condemned Russia, and called on those involved in the Ukraine crisis to “exercise restraint and avoid any action that would inflame tensions.”
Germany
Chancellor Olaf Schultz announced the suspension of certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline connecting Russia with his country.
Germany also said it was “ready” to deploy more soldiers to Lithuania.
For Foreign Minister Annalina Barbuk, Vladimir Putin is “negating all his obligations” to the international community.
United kingdom
The United Kingdom on Tuesday imposed sanctions on oligarchs close to the Kremlin and Russian banks for “beating Russia hard”, saying it was ready to move forward in the event of a new military escalation.
For Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Russia’s decision is seen as “a pretext for a major offensive”.
The Russian ambassador in London was summoned to the British Foreign Office on Tuesday.
France
President Emmanuel Macron condemned Vladimir Putin’s decision and called for “targeted European sanctions”.
Italia
Prime Minister Mario Draghi condemned the “unacceptable violation of Ukraine’s democratic sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
Austria
The Russian ambassador in Vienna was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Poland
For Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, the Russian decision “is equivalent to a refusal to dialogue and a flagrant violation of international law.”
Baltics
Gabrilius Landsbergis, Lithuanian Foreign Minister, declared that Russia’s action “proves total disregard for international law and UN charters”.
In Latvia, the government denounced the “gross violation of international law.”
In Estonia, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas lamented this “serious attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine”.
Czech Republic
Prime Minister Peter Fiala accused Russia of committing an “act of aggression against a neighboring sovereign state,” referring to the crushing of the Prague Spring in 1968: “Our history reminds us that such actions against our sovereign neighbors can never lead to peace.”
Norway
Norway, which is not a member of the European Union, announced on Tuesday that it will join upcoming EU sanctions against Russia.
Japan
“In the event of an invasion, we will coordinate a robust response, including sanctions, in consultation with the G7 and the international community,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned.
Australia
Prime Minister Scott Morrison supports the adoption of “severe and severe sanctions against Russia”.
Turkey
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan responded to Moscow’s decision as “unacceptable”.
Iran
The Foreign Ministry called on Moscow and Kiev for “restraint”, saying that “unfortunately, the interventions and provocative actions of NATO and the United States have mainly complicated the situation in the region.”
Syria
Foreign Minister Faisal Miqdad said Damascus “supports” the Russian decision. “What the West is doing now against Russia is similar to what it did against Syria during the war on terror.”
