The Biden administration has come out against efforts by some within the Russian government to convince President Vladimir Putin to recognize breakaway regions of Ukraine as independent states.
Russia’s parliament, the Duma, passed a resolution this week that would recognize the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics as “independent.” Pro-Russian separatists have been fighting against Ukrainian forces in these regions since 2014.
Putin, earlier this week, claimed that there was an ongoing “genocide” in the Donbas region, though he did not provide proof to back up this assertion.
SENATE SPLIT ON IMPOSING RUSSIAN SANCTIONS BEFORE OR AFTER INVASION OF UKRAINE
“Kremlin approval of this appeal would amount to the Russian government’s wholesale rejection of its commitments under the Minsk agreements, which outline the process for the full political, social, and economic reintegration of those parts of Ukraine’s Donbas region controlled by Russia-led forces and political proxies since 2014,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Minsk agreements, which were signed in 2014 and 2015, were ceasefire deals designed to stop the war.
“Enactment of this resolution would further undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, constitute a gross violation of international law, call into further question Russia’s stated commitment to continue to engage in diplomacy to achieve a peaceful resolution of this crisis, and necessitate a swift and firm response from the United States in full coordination with our Allies and partners,” Blinken continued.
Recognizing the breakaway territories would be seen as an act of aggression not aligned with Putin’s latest comments about seeking a diplomatic way to deescalate tension amid a possible invasion.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and President Joe Biden both said they had not seen evidence that Russia had pulled some troops back from the border as Russia claimed.
The U.S. has simultaneously pursued diplomatic solutions while preparing the military for an invasion. Biden administration officials have repeatedly spoken with their Ukrainian and Russian counterparts, trying to resolve the situation before an invasion can occur, though the military is ready in case one happens.
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Biden has deployed roughly 6,000 troops to Europe, while another 8,500 U.S. service members remain on “heightened alert” for a deployment should NATO call up their forces. The troops will not enter Ukraine to fight Russia should an invasion occur, nor will they go in to help Americans escape, but they will be able to help evacuate Americans once they cross into a neighboring country should it become necessary.
