Russia asks to evacuate diplomats from Ukraine soon, say reports

Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Ukraine peace agreement 'does not exist' anymore. Putin also said that the deployment of troops to Ukraine depends on the 'situation on the ground'.

Image credit: Reuters

Russia Ukraine crisis Live updates: The UK on Tuesday (February 22) said it will impose sanctions on 5 Russian banks of which three are 'very high-net-worth individuals' said the AFP News Agency quoting the British PM Boris Johnson.

The decision came after Moscow's troop deployment around the Ukrainian border. Earlier, UK PM Johnson has informed the same via his Twitter handle.

"Vladimir Putin has violated Ukrainian sovereignty and international law. We will immediately institute a package of sanctions targeting Russian economic interests. It's absolutely vital that the conquest of a European country should not succeed and that Putin should fail," tweeted Boris Johnson. 

Meanwhile, Condemning Russia`s move to recognize regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, the Ukrainian Ambassador to United Nations on Tuesday (February 22, 2022) demanded Moscow to return to the table for negotiations as well as immediate and complete verifiable withdrawal of occupation troops.

The UNSC meeting was called after Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday (February 21) signed a decree recognizing the independence of breakaway regions Donetsk and Luhansk. Putin’s this announcement, which was made during a televised address to Russians, has accelerated the crisis.

The move prompted the US to 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."

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday (February 21) also voiced great concern over Russia's decision to recognise Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine as “independent”, saying Moscow's decision is a “violation" of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and inconsistent with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

Thank You for staying tuned with Zee News for all the latest updates on Russia-Ukraine crisis. 

22 February 2022

23:20 IST

France's foreign minister says European Union nations unanimously agreed on a set of sanctions over the Ukraine crisis.

22:30 IST

Putin says the Ukraine peace agreement 'does not exist' anymore. Putin also said that the deployment of troops to Ukraine depends on the 'situation on the ground.'