BREAKING: Putin to declare eastern provinces in Ukraine as independent, setting a pretext for invasion

by The Right Scoop

Putin is giving a Russian history lesson on TV right now and from everything I can gather, he’s lamenting the fall of the Soviet Union and declaring that Ukraine was never really a county.

Before this speech it was just announced that Putin will declare Luhansk and Donetsk, territories in eastern Ukraine independent where Russian separatists are fighting the Ukrainian government, as independent, setting up a pretext for invasion:

THE HILL – The Kremlin on Monday said Russian President Vladimir Putin will recognize as independent two breakaway territories in eastern Ukraine, multiple outlets reported.

The move is likely to set up a confrontation with Kyiv and its Western allies that are poised to push back on potential, large-scale Russian military aggression.

The Kremlin said in a statement Putin intends to sign a decree recognizing the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic, which are in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region, as independent, according to The New York Times. The Kremlin further said the Russian president received pushback from the leaders in France and Germany over the decision during a phone call.

“The president of France and the Federal Chancellor of Germany expressed their disappointment with this development. At the same time, they indicated their readiness to continue contacts,” the Kremlin said in a statement.

The move follows Putin presiding over a public and highly-choreographed meeting of the Russian National Security Council where members expressed near unanimity for the Kremlin to recognize the territories as independent.

The Biden administration has warned Putin against making such a move, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying the U.S. would impose a “swift and firm response” if the Kremlin recognized the territories’ independence.

After recognizing Luhansk and Donetsk as independent, these territories can ask for Russian assistance to fight off Kyiv and Putin will likely send his military across the border to help liberate these territories. In other words, war.

That’s what Putin has just spent the last half hour trying to justify with his revisionist speech on Russian history.

UPDATE: General Jack Keane just said this on Fox News referring to Putin’s speech:

Clearly [Putin] is building a case, not to just occupy the Donbass region or even build a land bridge to the east to Crimea. He’s building a case to occupy Ukraine. That’s what that whole speech was about… His strategic intent here is to take control of Ukraine… I mean, [the speech] is dripping with the emotion that he feels personally about Ukraine.

Keane went on to say that Putin is basically saying that Ukraine was stolen from the Russian and that he’s going to take it back. I think it’s pretty clear to the world that this invasion will happen and Putin’s speech just confirmed it.

UPDATE 2: Putin says “Russia has every right to take countermeasures to ensure our own security. And that’s how we plan to act.”


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