Thread by @Reuters

The United States and its European allies are set to announce fresh sanctions against Russia after President Vladimir Putin recognized two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, deepening Western fears of a new war in Europe reut.rs/3IhL4aE

The deployment of what Russia called a peacekeeping operation in eastern Ukraine is 'nonsense' and Moscow's recognition of breakaway regions as independent is part of its pretext for war, the United States told the U.N. Security Council reut.rs/3HbNsy9

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russia of wrecking peace efforts and ruled out making any territorial concessions in an address to the nation in the early hours of Tuesday reut.rs/3Ha0aNN

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz put the certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline on ice after Russia formally recognized two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine reut.rs/3p6keL3

European Union sanctions on Russia could include putting hundreds of politicians and officials on black lists, a ban on trading in Russian state bonds and an import and export ban on separatist entities, EU diplomats and officials said reut.rs/3LRXesL

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain would sanction five Russian banks and three high net worth individuals including Gennady Timchenko after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized two breakaway regions of east Ukraine
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Russian leader Vladimir Putin got the green light from his upper house of parliament to deploy Russian military forces to two separatist-held regions of eastern Ukraine reut.rs/3I7ukma

BREAKING: U.S. President Biden says Russia just announced that it is carving out a big piece of Ukraine, adding this is the beginning of a Russian invasion

President Biden says the first tranche of Russia sanctions begins now due to a flagrant violation of international law. Watch Biden's speech: twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

President Joe Biden announced the first wave of sanctions against Russia for what he said was the beginning of an invasion of Ukraine, and vowed steeper punishments ahead if Russia continues its aggression reut.rs/3sWEzUc

The new U.S. sanctions, the latest in Western efforts to stop a feared full-scale invasion, are in retaliation for Russia recognizing two breakaway regions of Ukraine and sending troops there reut.rs/3h3MDgi https://t.co/jC2pU7XYIt

If Russia further invades Ukraine, the Biden administration could deprive it of a vast swath of low- and high-tech U.S. and foreign-made goods, from commercial electronics and computers to semiconductors and aircraft parts, sources told Reuters reut.rs/3LQrvIp

President Biden's announcement of a redistribution of troops in Europe includes sending 800 infantry soldiers to the Baltic region and up to eight F-35 fighter jets to several operating locations along NATO's eastern flank, a U.S. official said reut.rs/3HczRXa

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Russian President Vladimir Putin is blatantly breaking the laws and principles that have kept peace across Europe and the world. Watch Blinken and Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba live:

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A loud blast was heard early on Wednesday in the center of the city of Donetsk, which is held by Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, a Reuters witness said. The origin of the blast was unclear reut.rs/3Hh10s1

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken said he canceled a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov planned for Thursday after Moscow recognized two separatist regions in Ukraine as independent entities. Watch Blinken's briefing: twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was 'concerned about the perversion of the concept of peacekeeping' after Moscow ordered Russian troops into eastern Ukraine to 'keep the peace' twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

The White House says Russia de-escalation would be needed for a Biden-Putin summit to happen and the meeting is 'certainly not in the plans' at this point. Watch the briefing live: twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1…

Satellite images show a new deployment of more than 100 military vehicles and dozens of troop tents in southern Belarus and other images showed a new field hospital in western Russia — both near the Ukraine border, a private U.S. company said reut.rs/3vbnjgy