Foreign media reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian troops to enter Ukraine. Earlier, Putin signed a presidential decree recognizing the two Donbas regions in eastern Ukraine as independent states.
After President Putin said he recognized the independence of separatists in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, he ordered Russian peacekeepers to enter the region, Reuters and others said.
While President Putin claimed that the Donbas region was historically Russian territory, he signed a mutual aid treaty with pro-Russian rebel groups, declaring de facto military intervention.
In response, the United States condemned Russia's decision.
"We strongly condemn President Putin's recognition of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic and Lugansk People's Republic," US Secretary of State Blincoln said in a statement.
"This is an outright denial of the Minsk peace agreement, contrary to Russia's promise of a diplomatic solution, and an outright attack on Ukraine's sovereignty and territory," he said.