Russia-Ukraine Conflict: US President Joe Biden Signs Executive Order to Prohibit New Investment, Trade in Donetsk and Luhansk

Washington, February 22: US President Joe Biden on Monday (local time) signed an Executive Order that will prohibit all new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the "so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics." Taking to Twitter, Biden said, "I have signed an Executive Order to deny Russia the chance to profit from its blatant violations of international law. We are continuing to closely consult with Allies and partners, including Ukraine, on the next steps."

The Prohibition order was signed by Biden saying that, "Russia's commitments under the Minsk agreements further threatens the peace, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and thereby constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States." The United States and Allies on Monday requested an urgent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Ukraine to be held on Monday, a source told ANI. Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Vladimir Putin to Hold Extraordinary Meeting of Security Council of Russia.

Notably, Putin on Monday signed a decree recognizing the independence of breakaway regions Donetsk and Luhansk. Putin made this announcement during a televised address to Russians. After the announcement, the US said that it will soon impose sanctions on two Russia-backed separatist regions in Ukraine. The US strongly condemned Putin's decision to recognize the "so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics" as "independent."

US Ambassador to UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield supported Ukraine's call for an Urgent Meeting of the UN Security Council.

"Today, Russia announced that it will recognize as "independent states" parts of the sovereign territory of Ukraine in its Donbas region, which is currently controlled by Russia's proxies. This is an unprovoked violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," she said in a statement. Russia-Ukraine Conflict: As the Ukraine Crisis Escalates Middle East Countries Will Be Forced to Pick a Side.

"We support Ukraine's call for an urgent meeting of the U Security Council. The Security Council must demand that Russia respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, a UN Member State. The Kremlin's actions today are a wholesale rejection of the Minsk agreements and a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2202 (2015)," she added. She criticized Russia's announcement and said that it is "nothing more than theatre, apparently designed to create a pretext for a further invasion of Ukraine."

"Every UN Member State has a stake in what comes next. Russia's actions threaten the international order that since World War I, has stood for the principle that one country cannot unilaterally redraw another country's borders. This principle is enshrined in the U Charter which all Member States pledge to uphold. We must all stand with Ukraine in the face of this brazen attempt to usurp Ukraine's sovereign territory. There can be no fence-sitters in this crisis," her statement read. Notably, Putin has also ordered the sending of the Russian Armed Forces to Ukraine breakaway regions after recognizing their independence in his Monday address to the nation.

"We are going to be looking very closely at what they do over the coming hours and days and our response will be measured according again to their actions," a senior US administration official told ANI. "Russian troops moving into Donbas would not itself be a new step," the official said adding, "Russia has had forces in the Donbas for the past 8 years."

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