Putin ‘Creating a Pretext for War’
The UN Security Council members strongly condemned Russia after President Vladimir Putin officially recognized two breakaway regions of Ukraine and ordered troops to enter these areas under the guise of “peacekeeping duties.” The US ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, called Putin’s actions “nonsense” and accused him of making false claims to create a pretext for war. She emphasized that Putin’s objective was to “travel back to a time when empires ruled the world.”
In response, Russia’s security council representative, Vasily Nebenzya, blamed the West for allegedly “nudging” Ukraine toward conflict and criticized other nations for ignoring the situation in the Donbas region. Ukraine’s ambassador, Sergiy Kyslytsya, reiterated that Ukraine’s borders were “unchangeable” and demanded Russia reverse its recognition of the separatist regions and return to negotiations.
Putin’s decision to recognize the separatist territories and deploy troops comes after a dramatic display on Russian television, where he made an aggressive address, dismissing Ukraine as a “puppet regime” with no historical right to exist. His speech followed a series of dubious video clips portraying Ukrainian aggression, which have been widely debunked, including footage from Finnish military exercises and pre-staged evacuations in areas controlled by Russian-backed rebels.
