The Latest Breaking News from Donetsk

The EU had already warned of sanctions if Moscow recognised the regions

Russian deployment follows decision to recognise territories in south-east will be viewed in Ukraine and by other western allies as an occupation

U.S. authorities have warned Russia not to invade Ukraine and urged both countries to return to a set of agreements designed to end a separatist war by Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine.

Moscow has cultivated close ties with pro-Russian separatists controlling swathes of the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine but denies being a party to their nearly eight-year war with Ukrainian government forces.

West fears change of position by Kremlin on Lukansk and Donetsk could be precursor to the deployment of troops

Emmanuel Macron says revival of peace accords from 2014 and 2015 ‘only path on which peace can be built’ as regional Russian aggression continues

US President Joe Biden will soon move to prohibit US investment and trade with the self-declared republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine, the White House said Monday, following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement that he would recognise the separatist areas as independent nations. Read about the day's events…

Ukriane-Russia crisis news from February 21: Russian president says troops to ‘maintain peace’ in Donetsk and Luhansk.

Russian president has recognised Ukraine’s Luhansk and Donetsk regions as independent states: Zelenskiy says ‘we are not afraid’. Follow the latest updates