On Monday, the United Nations secretary-general condemned Putin’s decision as a violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, and inconsistent with the principles of the U.N. Charter. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield also criticized Putin’s move during an emergency meeting of the Security Council.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield: “He calls them peacekeepers. This is nonsense. We know what they really are. In doing so, he has put before the world a choice. We must meet the moment, and we must not look away. History tells us that looking the other way in the face of such hostility will be a far more costly path.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of violating the Minsk agreement and undermining diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine. On Monday, the Biden administration issued limited new sanctions targeting investors in the Russian-backed separatist regions. Meanwhile, Germany has announced it is halting the permitting process of Russia’s massive Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. We’ll have more on tensions over Ukraine after headlines.