UN chief Antonio Guterres has dismissed Russia’s plans to send troops to eastern Ukraine as “not peacekeepers at all”, as Western nations imposed stinging sanctions against Moscow, including measures that would aim to starve the country of financing.
Guterres said Russia’s moves to recognise the two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine violated the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, and called for an immediate ceasefire.
“We need restraint and reason,” he said. “We need to de-escalate now.”
Announcing what he said was the “first tranche” of sanctions – targeting Russia’s sovereign debt, financial institutions and “elites” – US President Joe Biden said Russia’s deployment of troops amounted to the “beginning of an invasion”.
The United Kingdom also imposed sanctions on Russian banks and high net worth individuals, while Germany halted the approval process for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.
Here are the latest updates:
Stocks steady, investors see space for war to be averted
Asian stocks have steadied and demand for safe havens has waned with investors appearing to decide Russian troop movements near Ukraine and initial Western sanctions will leave room to avoid war.
“The market sees the various sanctions … as modest and perhaps not as aggressive as feared,” said Chris Weston, head of research at brokerage Pepperstone.
The commodity markets remain more nervous over the situation on Europe’s eastern edge. Overnight, oil struck a seven-year high.
You can read more on what’s happening in the markets here.
Japan imposes Russia sanctions
Japan has joined the sanctions push against Russia.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says the measures include prohibiting the issuance of Russian bonds in Japan and freezing the assets of certain Russian individuals as well as restricting their travel to Japan.
“Russia’s actions very clearly damage Ukraine’s sovereignty and go against international law. We once again criticise these moves and strongly urge Russia to return to diplomatic discussions,” Kishida said.
“The situation remains quite tense and we will continue to monitor it closely.”
Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced the sanctions at his residence in Tokyo on Wednesday [Kyodo/via Reuters]
Taiwan to step up surveillance amid Ukraine crisis
Long wary about China, Taiwan has said it will increase its surveillance and alertness for military activities in the region and tackle foreign misinformation.
President Tsai Ing-wen told a security meeting about Ukraine on Wednesday, that all security and military units “must raise their surveillance and early warning of military developments around the Taiwan Strait”.
Beijing claims Taiwan as its own and has stepped up military activities around the self-ruled island since Tsai was first elected in 2016.
Taiwan and Ukraine are fundamentally different in terms of geostrategy, geography and international supply chains, she said, according to a readout of the meeting provided by her office.
“But in the face of foreign forces intending to manipulate the situation in Ukraine and affect the morale of Taiwanese society, all government units must strengthen the prevention of cognitive warfare launched by foreign forces and local collaborators,” it cited Tsai as saying.
The statement did not mention China by name.
‘Australia to impose sanctions “immediately”
Australia has joined the US and UK in imposing sanctions on Russia, saying it is standing up to bullies.
Speaking after an emergency meeting of the country’s national security council, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the measures would be imposed “immediately” and target both individuals and entities.
“Australians always stand up to bullies, and we will be standing up to Russia, along with all of our partners,” he said, describing the movement of Russian troops into eastern Ukraine as an “invasion”.
Those targeted include eight members of Russia’s security council, as well as banks and businesses including transport, energy and telecommunications. Morrison declined to name the individuals but said they were the same as the people sanctioned by the US and the UK.
Australia has had sanctions in place since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea, and flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine killing everyone on board.
Diplomats wonder what UN can do after Guterres hard hitting statement
Diplomats at the United Nations have welcomed Antonio Guterres’ hard-hitting statement on Russia’s moves in eastern Ukraine, but are wondering what the organisation can actually do to resolve the issue, according to Al Jazeera’s Rosiland Jordan.
Speaking from UN headquarters, she described Guterres statement as “eviscerating” and noted he had been incredibly critical of Moscow, pointing out that it was not for member states to “pick and choose” which part of the UN Charter they want to follow.
The key question for many diplomats, however, is what he can do to follow up on the rhetoric and “what’s really going to be done behind the scenes to resolve this crisis without many people losing their lives in eastern Ukraine,” she said.
UK sanctions criticised as mere ‘slap on the wrist’
Some analysts and politicians say the sanctions being imposed on Russia are too weak.
Stephen Kinnock, a shadow minister in Britain’s opposition Labour Party, says the UK sanctions, which did not include a mainstream bank or any “significant oligarchs” were a “slap on the wrist, when something more hard-hitting was needed”.
Financier and campaigner Bill Browder also called the UK measures “pretty tepid” while he described the US as making a “solid start”.
Now the water is approaching the temperature to make proper tea. Putin runs a mafia, treat it like one. They hide assets with family, bodyguards, chefs. They buy politicians to protect them. Expose it all. Kick them back to the Putin police state they helped build. https://t.co/cOBVaJH0sQ
— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) February 22, 2022
Canada announces sanctions on Russia, deploys troops to Latvia
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced a first set of sanctions on Russia.
Under the plan, Canadians will be banned from from engaging in purchases of Russian sovereign debt, and from all financial dealings with the rebel areas of Luhansk and Donetsk.
Canada will also sanction members of the Russian parliament who voted for the decision to recognise Donetsk and Luhansk as independent.
Two state-backed Russian banks will also be subject to additional sanctions.
Trudeau is also sending more Canadian troops to eastern Europe, with as many as 460 members of the Canadian Armed Forces, mostly to Latvia.
He said Putin’s order to send troops into eastern Ukraine was “a clear incursion” of sovereignty.
“Make no mistake: this is a further invasion of a sovereign state and it is absolutely unacceptable,” he said, adding it was “not too late” for Russia to seek a diplomatic resolution.
Satellite images show new military activity
The US company Maxar Technologies has released a series of new satellite images, which appear to show a fresh deployment of more than 100 military vehicles and dozens of troop tents in southern Belarus near the Ukraine border.
The images also included what Maxar said was a new field hospital, which has been added to a military garrison in western Russia near the border.
A satellite image shows an overview of a field hospital and a troop deployment in Belgorod in western Russia [Maxar Technologies via Reuters]‘The time for sanctions is now,’: Ukraine foreign minister
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has welcomed the US sanctions against Russian banks, calling on the world to use “all its economic might to punish Russia”.
Speaking alongside Blinken, Kuleba accused Putin of killing the Minsk Agreement that aimed to restore peace in eastern Ukraine with his recognition of the two breakaway Ukrainian regions.
“Russia’s move is a grave breach of international law and a new act of aggression against Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Therefore, Ukraine strongly believes that the time for sanctions is now,” he said.
‘Not peacekeepers at all’: UN chief condemns Russia troop plan
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has rejected Russian claims that troops deployed to eastern Ukraine will be “peacekeepers”.
“When troops of one country enter the territory of another country without its consent, they are not impartial peacekeepers. They are not peacekeepers at all,” the UN secretary-general told reporters in New York.
Guterres also dismissed Russia’s claims of a genocide taking place against ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine.
“I do not think it is the case,” he said.
Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the Ukraine-Russia crisis.
I’m Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur.
Read all the updates from Tuesday, February 22, here.
UN chief Antonio Guterres has dismissed Russia’s plans to send troops to eastern Ukraine as “not peacekeepers at all”, as Western nations imposed stinging sanctions against Moscow, including measures that would aim to starve the country of financing. Guterres said Russia’s moves to recognise the two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine violated the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, and called for an immediate ceasefire. “We need restraint and reason,” he said. “We need to de-escalate now.” Announcing what he said was the “first tranche” of sanctions – targeting Russia’s sovereign debt, financial institutions and “elites” – US President Joe Biden said Russia’s deployment of troops amounted to the “beginning of an invasion”. The United Kingdom also imposed sanctions on Russian banks and high net worth individuals, while Germany halted the approval process for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project. Here are the latest updates: 17 mins ago (04:40 GMT) Stocks steady, investors see space for war to be averted Asian stocks have steadied and demand for safe havens has waned with investors appearing to decide Russian troop movements near Ukraine and initial Western sanctions will leave room to avoid war. “The market sees the various sanctions … as modest and perhaps not as aggressive as feared,” said Chris Weston, head of research at brokerage Pepperstone. The commodity markets remain more nervous over the situation on Europe’s eastern edge. Overnight, oil struck a seven-year high. You can read more on what’s happening in the markets here. 26 mins ago (04:31 GMT) Japan imposes Russia sanctions Japan has joined the sanctions push against Russia. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says the measures include prohibiting the issuance of Russian bonds in Japan and freezing the assets of certain Russian individuals as well as restricting their travel to Japan. “Russia’s actions very clearly damage Ukraine’s sovereignty and go against international law. We once again criticise these moves and strongly urge Russia to return to diplomatic discussions,” Kishida said. “The situation remains quite tense and we will continue to monitor it closely.” Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced the sanctions at his residence in Tokyo on Wednesday [Kyodo/via Reuters] 2 hours ago (03:11 GMT) Taiwan to step up surveillance amid Ukraine crisis Long wary about China, Taiwan has said it will increase its surveillance and alertness for military activities in the region and tackle foreign misinformation. President Tsai Ing-wen told a security meeting about Ukraine on Wednesday, that all security and military units “must raise their surveillance and early warning of military developments around the Taiwan Strait”. Beijing claims Taiwan as its own and has stepped up military activities around the self-ruled island since Tsai was first elected in 2016. Taiwan and Ukraine are fundamentally different in terms of geostrategy, geography and international supply chains, she said, according to a readout of the meeting provided by her office. “But in the face of foreign forces intending to manipulate the situation in Ukraine and affect the morale of Taiwanese society, all government units must strengthen the prevention of cognitive warfare launched by foreign forces and local collaborators,” it cited Tsai as saying. The statement did not mention China by name. 2 hours ago (02:49 GMT) ‘Australia to impose sanctions “immediately” Australia has joined the US and UK in imposing sanctions on Russia, saying it is standing up to bullies. Speaking after an emergency meeting of the country’s national security council, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the measures would be imposed “immediately” and target both individuals and entities. “Australians always stand up to bullies, and we will be standing up to Russia, along with all of our partners,” he said, describing the movement of Russian troops into eastern Ukraine as an “invasion”. Those targeted include eight members of Russia’s security council, as well as banks and businesses including transport, energy and telecommunications. Morrison declined to name the individuals but said they were the same as the people sanctioned by the US and the UK. Australia has had sanctions in place since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea, and flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine killing everyone on board. 3 hours ago (02:20 GMT) Diplomats wonder what UN can do after Guterres hard hitting statement Diplomats at the United Nations have welcomed Antonio Guterres’ hard-hitting statement on Russia’s moves in eastern Ukraine, but are wondering what the organisation can actually do to resolve the issue, according to Al Jazeera’s Rosiland Jordan. Speaking from UN headquarters, she described Guterres statement as “eviscerating” and noted he had been incredibly critical of Moscow, pointing out that it was not for member states to “pick and choose” which part of the UN Charter they want to follow. The key question for many diplomats, however, is what he can do to follow up on the rhetoric and “what’s really going to be done behind the scenes to resolve this crisis without many people losing their lives in eastern Ukraine,” she said. 3 hours ago (02:10 GMT) UK sanctions criticised as mere ‘slap on the wrist’ Some analysts and politicians say the sanctions being imposed on Russia are too weak. Stephen Kinnock, a shadow minister in Britain’s opposition Labour Party, says the UK sanctions, which did not include a mainstream bank or any “significant oligarchs” were a “slap on the wrist, when something more hard-hitting was needed”. Financier and campaigner Bill Browder also called the UK measures “pretty tepid” while he described the US as making a “solid start”. Now the water is approaching the temperature to make proper tea. Putin runs a mafia, treat it like one. They hide assets with family, bodyguards, chefs. They buy politicians to protect them. Expose it all. Kick them back to the Putin police state they helped build. https://t.co/cOBVaJH0sQ — Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) February 22, 2022 3 hours ago (01:35 GMT) Canada announces sanctions on Russia, deploys troops to Latvia Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced a first set of sanctions on Russia. Under the plan, Canadians will be banned from from engaging in purchases of Russian sovereign debt, and from all financial dealings with the rebel areas of Luhansk and Donetsk. Canada will also sanction members of the Russian parliament who voted for the decision to recognise Donetsk and Luhansk as independent. Two state-backed Russian banks will also be subject to additional sanctions. Trudeau is also sending more Canadian troops to eastern Europe, with as many as 460 members of the Canadian Armed Forces, mostly to Latvia. He said Putin’s order to send troops into eastern Ukraine was “a clear incursion” of sovereignty. “Make no mistake: this is a further invasion of a sovereign state and it is absolutely unacceptable,” he said, adding it was “not too late” for Russia to seek a diplomatic resolution. 4 hours ago (01:12 GMT) Satellite images show new military activity The US company Maxar Technologies has released a series of new satellite images, which appear to show a fresh deployment of more than 100 military vehicles and dozens of troop tents in southern Belarus near the Ukraine border. The images also included what Maxar said was a new field hospital, which has been added to a military garrison in western Russia near the border. A satellite image shows an overview of a field hospital and a troop deployment in Belgorod in western Russia [Maxar Technologies via Reuters] 4 hours ago (00:28 GMT) ‘The time for sanctions is now,’: Ukraine foreign minister Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has welcomed the US sanctions against Russian banks, calling on the world to use “all its economic might to punish Russia”. Speaking alongside Blinken, Kuleba accused Putin of killing the Minsk Agreement that aimed to restore peace in eastern Ukraine with his recognition of the two breakaway Ukrainian regions. “Russia’s move is a grave breach of international law and a new act of aggression against Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Therefore, Ukraine strongly believes that the time for sanctions is now,” he said. 5 hours ago (00:25 GMT) ‘Not peacekeepers at all’: UN chief condemns Russia troop plan United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has rejected Russian claims that troops deployed to eastern Ukraine will be “peacekeepers”. “When troops of one country enter the territory of another country without its consent, they are not impartial peacekeepers. They are not peacekeepers at all,” the UN secretary-general told reporters in New York. Guterres also dismissed Russia’s claims of a genocide taking place against ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine. “I do not think it is the case,” he said. Hello and welcome to Al Jazeera’s continuing coverage of the Ukraine-Russia crisis. I’m Kate Mayberry in Kuala Lumpur. Read all the updates from Tuesday, February 22, here.