President Biden is imposing sanctions on two Kremlin-backed separatist regions in Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin said Russia would recognize them as independent, the White House said on Monday.
The big picture: The U.S. and EU denounced Putin's move, calling it a violation of international law. Many fear it could be a pretext for a larger Russian invasion, and the State Department was evacuating American personnel from Ukraine Monday.
- The UN Security Council held a rare nighttime emergency meeting on Monday following a request from the U.S., Ukraine and several other countries.
Meanwhile, Biden spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to discuss a coordinated response on next steps, according to a readout from the White House.
- He also spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, vowing to "respond swiftly and decisively, in lock-step with its Allies and partners, to further Russian aggression against Ukraine," the statement added.
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