Putin to give televised address shortly:

[Tomconroy]

MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin listened to the members of the Russian Security Council, who favored the recognition of Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, but did not announce the final decision, adding that the decision will be made later today.

"Dear colleagues, I’ve heard your opinion. The decision will be made today," Putin told the Security Council.

During the meeting, all participants favored the recognition of Donbass republics. Previously, Russian State Duma, LPR and DPR sent corresponding requests to the Russian President.

Rossiya-24 TV channel announced that Putin will deliver a televised address shortly.




https://tass.com/politics/1407541

[herding cats]

1. The kremlin says he's going to recognize them as separate.

Ukraine crisis live: Putin will recognise breakaway regions as independent states, Kremlin confirms

Russian President Vladimir Putin told the leaders of France and Germany on Monday that he intends to sign a decree later today recognizing the two pro-Russian breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine, the Kremlin said in a statement on Monday evening.

“In the near future, the president plans to sign the order,” the Kremlin said.

According to the Kremlin, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Emmanuel Macron “expressed their disappointment with this development of the situation” but “indicated their readiness to continue contacts”.

Earlier on Monday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Russia would be breaching the 2015 Minsk peace accords if it were to recognise the independence of east Ukraine’s rebel republics.

The German leader warned that “such a step would be a gross contradiction of the Minsk agreement for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in east Ukraine and a unilateral breach of these deals from the Russian side,” Scholz said in a call between Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2022/feb/21/russia-ukraine-news-latest-crisis-putin-biden-summit-kyiv-kiev-russian-invasion-threat-live-updates

My heart hurts for the people of Ukraine. Not to mention Europe is already being assaulted with the insane increase in energy prices, now this is going to cause many to not be able to afford heat at all.

[Thomas Hurt]

2. Announcing the annexation of the those two "sepratist" regions or the whole of Ukraine...

Nibble away at it.

[lame54]

3. Shortly - I see what you did there

[PortTack]

4. More trying to in site Ukraine into some violent reaction that he use as a reason to invade