Ukraine affirms international borders will remain intact despite Putin's provocative order

Standing firmly on his decision, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday (local time) affirmed "Ukraine's internationally recognized borders will remain unchanged" despite Putin's contentious decision to alter the border. The statement from Zelenskyy came nearly three hours after his Russian counterpart announced recognizing the independence of breakaway regions Donetsk and Luhansk during a nationally televised appearance on Monday. Meanwhile, countering the announcement of Putin, Zelenskyy argued Moscow's decision translates to its withdrawal from the Minsk agreements. According to him, the provocative action from the Russian side legalizes Russian troops in the area, which have been in Donbas since 2014. 

Further, Zelenskyy termed earlier friendly measures and existing negotiations have been ruined with Putin's action. He also called for an emergency Normandy Format talk. During his address to the public, the Ukrainian President advocated to sort out the ongoing tension peacefully but warned Moscow that Kyiv would go to any extent if his counterpart tries to harm the country. It is pertinent to mention here that Putin decided on the matter of recognition of DNR and LNR despite West's repetitive warnings and speculations that Moscow could use as a pretext for an attack on Kyiv.

Zelenskyy called Putin to meet him and seek a resolution to avert the crisis

According to the United States, Russian troops assembled on frontiers of Ukraine and POTUS Joe Biden even announced that Mr Putin has already decided to harm his neighbouring country, Ukraine. Yet, the American and Russian presidents tentatively agreed to a possible meeting in a last-ditch effort to avert war. On Saturday, Zelenskyy called his Russian counterpart Putin to meet him and seek a resolution to avert the crisis. The statement from Zelenskyy came during the Munich Security Conference that also had in attendance several western leaders including US Vice President Kamala Harris and United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. 

Notably, on Saturday, separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine ordered a full military mobilization despite a frequent warning from the Western leaders of invoking stringent sanctions-- both politically and economically. It is pertinent to mention here that the battle between Ukraine's government and the breakaway Donetsk and, Lugansk Republics is not new. It has been going on since 2014. In a bid to control the violence in the Donbas region, an accord called the Minsk agreement was signed in February 2015. The deal came after tough negotiations among leaders of France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine — the Normandy group. However, the agreement did not exhibit the desired result, and, it is visible only in the papers, resulting in frequent sporadic clashes.

Image: Twitter/@ZelenskyyUa