Russian lawmakers granted President Vladimir Putin approval to use military force outside the country on Tuesday a motion that could forecast a broader attack on Ukraine after the US announced an attack was already underway there.
Earlier in the day, various European leaders announced that Russian troops have shifted into rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine after Putin understood their independence. But it was uncertain how massive the movements were, and Ukraine and its Western allies have announced Russian troops have been protesting in the region since the separatist dispute erupted in 2014. Kremlin denies those announcements.
Members of the upper house, the Federation Council, chose unanimously to enable Putin to use military force outside Russia — effectively regularize a Russian military deployment to the rebel nations, where an eight-year conflict has murdered nearly 14,000 people.
The White House on Tuesday began citing to Russian troop deployments in eastern Ukraine as an “invasion” after originally baulking to use the term — a red line that President Joe Biden has announced would arise in the US charging severe penalties against Moscow.
“We think this is, yes, the starting of an invasion, Russia’s latest invasion into Ukraine,” said Jon Finer, principal deputy national security adviser, said in an interview on CNN. “An invasion is an invasion and that is what is underway.” The White House decided to start inferring to Russia’s actions as an “invasion” because of the problem on the ground, according to a US official who talked on the situation of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
The administration avoided initially naming the deployment of troops because the White House expected to see what Russia was certainly going to do. After evaluating Russian troop movements, it became apparent it was a new invasion, the official added.
