Ukraine says it may break off diplomatic ties with Russia

KYIV • Ukraine may break off diplomatic relations with Russia after Moscow decided to recognise two breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine as independent, President Volodymyr Zelensky said at a briefing yesterday.

Weighing a request from his Foreign Ministry to break off ties, he said: "I will consider the issue of severing diplomatic relations between Ukraine and the Russian Federation," he said. "Immediately after our press conference, I will consider this issue."

The President urged Ukraine's allies not to wait for a further escalation to impose sanctions against Russia.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that it had recalled a senior Ukrainian diplomat from Moscow for consultations.

The Kremlin said Kyiv cutting ties with Moscow would worsen the already tense situation.

"The Russian side remains open at all levels for diplomatic contacts... Everything depends on our opponents," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that a move by Kyiv to cut off its official ties with Moscow would be "an extremely undesirable scenario that would make everything even more difficult".

Mr Putin's announcement on Monday, and his signing of a decree on the deployment of Russian troops to the two breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, drew international condemnation and immediate US sanctions, with US President Joe Biden signing an executive order to halt US business activity in the breakaway regions.

Britain slapped sanctions on five Russian banks and three billionaires with close links to Mr Putin. The United States and its European allies are set to announce more sanctions.

Mr Zelensky, who in his night-time address to the nation on Monday accused Russia of destroying peace efforts, continued to play down the prospect of a large-scale conflict with Russia.

"We are committed to the peaceful and diplomatic path, we will follow it and only it," the President said.

"But we are on our own land, we are not afraid of anything and anybody, we owe nothing to no one, and we will give nothing to no one.

"We believe that there will be no war, there will be no powerful (war) against Ukraine, and there will be no wide escalation by the Russian Federation.

"If there is a (wide escalation), then martial law will be introduced."

REUTERS