Blinken Promised ‘Swift and Firm’ Response to Russian Support of Donetsk and Luhansk Independence

Russian president Vladimir Putin on Monday afternoon announced his decision to recognize Donetsk and Luhansk, the two regions in Eastern Ukraine that have been occupied by pro-Russian separatists since 2014. That decision could result in a Russian military occupation to shore up those regions’ independence from Kyiv.

Moscow most immediately laid the groundwork for this move last week, when the Russian Duma passed a resolution urging Putin to recognize the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk. At the time, Secretary of State Antony Blinken responded with a statement promising a “swift and firm” U.S. response to such a move.

“Enactment of this resolution would further undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, constitute a gross violation of international law, call into further question Russia’s stated commitment to continue to engage in diplomacy to achieve a peaceful resolution of this crisis, and necessitate a swift and firm response from the United States in full coordination with our Allies and partners,” Blinken said in the statement on Wednesday.

With Putin’s announcement, it’s worth noting that Russian recognition of the two territories’ independence essentially ends the Minsk peace process, eliminating one significant route toward a diplomatic solution to the Kremlin-manufactured crisis in Eastern Europe. It could also unleash a wave of violence and be the trigger for a Russian military campaign against the rest of Ukraine.

The Biden administration has promised to target Russian officials and institutions with punishing sanctions that exceed those imposed after the annexation of Crimea in 2014 in response to a Russian invasion, but beyond Blinken’s statement last week, it’s unclear how the U.S. will respond to Russian recognition of the two Ukrainian territories as independent.