World reacts to Russia declaration of Ukraine areas as 'independent' states

Russian President Vladimir Putin has recognised the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine and paved the way to provide them military support — a direct challenge to the West that will fuel fears that Russia could imminently invade Ukraine.

Monday's announcement came amid a spike in skirmishes in the eastern regions that Western powers believe Russia could use as a pretext for an attack on the western-looking democracy that has defied Moscow's attempts to pull it back into its orbit.

Ukraine's allies and Western powers responded immediately to Monday's announcement by Putin.

READ MORE: Russia's Putin recognises Ukraine breakaway regions as independent

NATO

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has accused Moscow of creating a pretext for a new invasion.

"Moscow continues to fuel the conflict in eastern Ukraine by providing financial and military support to the separatists. It is also trying to stage a pretext to invade Ukraine once again," Stoltenberg said.

"This undermines Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, erodes efforts towards a resolution of the conflict, and violates the Minsk Agreements, to which Russia is a party."

European Union

Top EU top officials condemned Russia's recognition of the separatist Luhansk and Donetsk regions of eastern Ukraine, calling the move a "blatant violation of international law.

In a joint statement, European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen condemned in the strongest possible terms the decision by the Russian President to proceed with the recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk of Ukraine as independent entities.

They also said that the EU will react with sanctions against those involved in this illegal act.

Michel, von der Leyen, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola also shared the same message on social media.

The recognition of the two separatist territories in Ukraine is a blatant violation of international law, the territorial integrity of Ukraine, and the Minsk agreements, they wrote.

The EU and its partners will react with unity, firmness, and with determination in solidarity with Ukraine, the EU leaders added.

Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania

The European Union must impose sanctions on Russia, the governments of the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania said after Russia's announcement.

The three Baltic states, unlike Ukraine, are all members of NATO and the European Union.

"The EU must impose sanctions immediately," Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics wrote on Twitter.

"I remain convinced such a course of escalation should be met with sanctions," his Lithuanian counterpart Gabrielius Landsbergis wrote in a tweet.

In a joint statement, Rinkevics and Latvia's president and the prime minister called on the international community "to take the strongest possible measures to stop Russia’s aggression and offer assistance to Ukraine".

Separately, Estonia's president called on the European Union to impose sanctions for what he called the "gross and unjustifiable trampling on international law".

Lithuania's speaker of parliament will table a parliamentary motion to "never recognise" any change of status of the breakaway region, she said on Monday.

"Recognition of Donetsk & Luhansk separatist 'republics' by Russia is an intolerable violation of international law.

It also means unilateral withdrawal from Minsk agreements", said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, referring to the Donbass ceasefire documents.

United Kingdom

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson slammed Russia's recognition of separatist republics as "a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine".

He called it "a repudiation of the Minsk process and the Minsk agreements."

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Putin's move "signals an end to the Minsk process and is a violation of the United Nations Charter.

"We will not allow Russia's violation of its international commitments to go unpunished," Truss tweeted.

United States

President Joe Biden has ordered new sanctions against the separatist eastern Ukraine regions.

The Biden administration called announcement by Putin a "blatant violation of Russia's international commitments." 

The sanctions will prohibit new investment, trade and financing in the two separatist regions of Ukraine recognised by Putin.

READ MORE: Biden, Putin agree to meet in France-brokered summit over Ukraine

Germany

Russia is reneging on its engagements to the global community, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said.

Underlining that Russia had itself signed up to the Minsk peace agreements in 2014, Baerbock said that "with its decision, Russia is breaking all its promises to the world community".

France

French President Emmanuel Macron called Russia's decision an attack on Ukraine's territorial integrity and called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

Macron also called for targeted European sanctions. 

United Nations

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres slammed Russia's move as a "violation" of Kiev's sovereignty.

"The Secretary General considers the decision of the Russian Federation to be a violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and inconsistent with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations," he said in a statement.

READ MORE: Back to the Future: What happened to hope for post-Cold War peace?