Russia-Ukraine updates: US to ban Russian carriers from its airspace

Russian President Vladimir Putin in an address to the Russian people announced recognition of the two Russian-controlled separatist regions in eastern Ukraine's Donbas region, the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. 

“I believe that it’s necessary to take a decision that has long been coming -- to immediately recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Donesk’s People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic,” Putin said.

Putin also made a menacing warning to Ukraine’s government, telling it to “immediately cease all military action” near the separatist regions or else they will face “full responsibility” for further consequences and bloodshed.

Putin's address laid an aggrieved vision of Russia’s post-Soviet relations with the West and questioned the historical underpinnings of Ukraine’s statehood. Putin said Ukraine was infected with the “virus of nationalism” and blamed Ukrainian politicians and the West for allegedly cynically drumming up divisions.

Putin denounced Ukraine’s 2014 revolution, saying it had not led to the developed “Western” direction it promised, instead claiming it had led to “terror” and to economic failure.

Putin also said he believed that the West would impose sanctions on Russia regardless of what happens.

“A pretext for the next sanctions attack will always be found. Or fabricated. There is one goal to contain the development of Russia,” he said.

The European Commission in a statement said it will react to Putin's decision to recognize the separatist regions with sanctions "against those involved in this illegal act."

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the EU Commission, condemned Putin's decision on Twitter, calling it "a blatant violation of international law, the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the #Minsk agreements."

United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson also condemned Putin's announcement, saying, "This is plainly in breach of international law -- it's a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and integrity of Ukraine. ... It is a repudiation of the Minsk process and the Minsk Agreements."

"I think it's a very ill omen and a very dark sign," Johnson said, adding, it's "yet another indication that things are moving in the wrong direction in Ukraine."

ABC News' Patrick Reevell, Dimitrije Stejic

Shortly before he was set to speak to the Russian people, Russian President Vladimir Putin informed French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz via phone that he intends to sign a decree recognizing the two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, the Kremlin said in a statement to Russian media.

The Kremlin said Putin informed them about the “outcomes” of his security council meeting and noted that the separatist "republic" had sent appeals asking for recognition due to unverified reports of "military aggression by the Ukrainian government, with massive shelling of the territory of Donbas, as a result of which the civilian population is suffering."

This comes amid a barrage of false reports from Russia and the separatists of supposed Ukrainian attacks. In the last few days, Russia has also made dubious claims of shells falling on Russian territory as Russia builds a pretext for a possible attack on Ukraine, under the guise of coming to the aid of the separatists.

Scholz condemned the plans to recognize the separatist regions, a spokesperson said, calling it a "stark contradiction to the Minsk Agreements for the peaceful settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine" and "a unilateral breach of these agreements on the part of Russia."

"During the talks, the [German] Chancellor called on the President of the Russian Federation to immediately de-escalate and withdraw the amassed forces from the border with Ukraine," the spokesperson said.

-ABC News' Patrick Reevell

The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin will make a national TV address shortly. This comes after Putin said he would decide today whether to recognize Russia-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine.

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, in response to Putin’s possibly recognizing the separatist regions, he has convened his national security council and has held “urgent consultations” with the presidents of France and Germany.

France and Germany are the guarantors of the Minsk agreement and the Normandy Format, which all sides agree Russia will exit if it recognizes the separatist regions.

-ABC News' Patrick Reevell

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a national security council meeting that he will make a decision today whether to recognize the Russian-controlled separatist regions in Ukraine as independent.

This came after Putin called an unplanned meeting of his national security council and, in an unusual move, broadcast the meeting live on state TV. The security council unanimously advised Putin he should recognize the self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, the two unrecognized state-lets in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region. That would open a path to Russia annexing them, as it did Crimea in 2014.

Putin and some top officials at the meeting questioned the usefulness of holding a summit with President Joe Biden.

Nikolay Patrushev, the head of the national security council, told Putin he thought the proposed summit wouldn't be necessary if it was for the U.S. to repeat its positions.

"We probably don’t need just conversations, we need to achieve concrete goals,” Patrushev said, accusing the U.S. of having a "hidden goal” to destroy Russia.

Patrushev said unless the U.S. could say it can force Ukraine to fulfill the Minsk agreements in 2 to 3 days there was no point in a summit.

-ABC News' Patrick Reevell