Putin’s recognition of breakaway Ukrainian regions escalates crisis
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Picture: REUTERS/ANDREAS GEBERT
Britain, France and Germany also agreed to respond with sanctions, with Britain and the US saying they would announce further measures on Tuesday. Russian UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia warned Western powers to “think twice” and not worsen the situation. A senior US official said the deployment of Russian troops to the breakaway enclaves did not yet merit the harshest sanctions the US and its allies had prepared in the event of a full-scale invasion, as Russia already had troops there.
Rising fears of a war in Europe pushed oil prices to a seven-year high on Tuesday, while safe-havens currencies like the yen rallied and global stocks tumbled. The rouble extended its losses as Putin spoke, at one point sliding beyond 80 to the dollar.In a lengthy televised address on Monday packed with grievances against the West, Putin said eastern Ukraine was ancient Russian land.
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