EU foreign policy chief says Russia sending troops on 'Ukraine soil' is not a 'fully fledged invasion'

Much of the world scrambled on Tuesday to condemn Russia's decision to recognize and send troops into two parts of eastern Ukraine that claim independence from Kyiv. Even countries with good relations with Russia, like Greece and Turkey, called Russia's incursion into Ukraine's sovereign territory unacceptable. China, cultivating a strategic alliance with Moscow, urged more dialogue between Russia, Ukraine, and Western democracies.

One of the big questions as Russian tanks and troops enter Ukraine's breakaway Donetsk and Luhansk regions is what the world is wiling to do about it. Sanctions are forthcoming, but it's unclear how severe they will be at this stage. The U.S., Britain, and Japan are weighing punitive sanctions on Russian interests, but the European Union can only act if all member states agree.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.