Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops to enter Eastern Ukraine on Monday amid rising tensions following Putin’s earlier declaration of those areas’ independence, reported the Army Times. The troops, according to Putin, will be authorized to “maintain peace.”
Earlier on Monday, President Putin signed a decree stating that the Eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Lugansk were independent. As previously reported by The Epoch Times, it is not entirely clear if Russian troops have indeed entered those regions yet, or how big those forces may be. However, Putin’s order specifically authorized troops to be sent to Donbas.
In response to Putin’s decree, as well as his authorization to send troops into the Ukrainian area, AFP News Agency reported on Twitter that the U.S. is set to “assess” Russian troop movements, and will “pursue democracy until the tanks roll.”
Additionally, Reuters revealed that a White House official stated the following regarding a phone call that took place between Putin and Joe Biden after the decree was signed: “Biden strongly condemned Russian President Putin’s decision to purportedly recognize the ‘independence’ of the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine.”
On Saturday, Kamala Harris visited with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Munich and pledged support from the United States in the event of a potential Russian invasion. As previously reported by RSBN, at that time, President Zelensky did not seem overly concerned at the prospect of Russian troop movement. “The intelligence I trust is mine,” Zelensky stated. “I trust Ukrainians who understand what’s going on in our borders. We’re not living in delusion.”
The Epoch Times report revealed that between 100,000 to 190,000 Russian troops are currently coalesced at the border of Ukraine, prompting the White House to announce that Joe Biden will be issuing an executive order in the near future to ban new investments, “trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in” the two contested Ukrainian regions.
It is unclear what Biden’s economic sanctions will do to curb Russia’s potential movements toward Ukraine, or if Russia will end up invading in the near future or not.
However, as tensions rise and rumors swirl regarding the intentions of Putin, as well as what Joe Biden’s reaction to it will be, many Americans are apprehensive to get involved in another overseas conflict, especially so soon after bringing troops home from a 20-year mission in Afghanistan.
