The ever-escalating Ukraine crisis took on a new dimension following a new move by Russia on Monday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced recognizing the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, a pair of self-proclaimed separatist republics in eastern Ukraine.

Putin has also sent “peacekeeping troops” into the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.

In a speech, Putin argued that Ukraine is not a simple neighbour, it was completely founded by Lenin and has never been a genuine state. The Russian leader argued that Ukraine’s NATO membership poses a "direct threat" to Russia's security, and accused the intelligence services of western countries of assisting Ukraine in committing crimes. The Russian President also accused Ukraine of being a “puppet regime” colonized by the US.

Russia's Foreign Ministry has called on other countries to “recognize” the republics in eastern Ukraine. “The recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics is the only possible and necessary decision,” the ministry said.

“For now, I can talk about Russian troops on Ukrainian soil, not a large-scale invasion,” Josep Borrell, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Policy, said. Borrell added that the EU is preparing its own sanctions. “It is necessary to act quickly,” he said. The first sanctions are expected to be announced this Tuesday.

Putin's decision to recognize the regions in eastern Ukraine has drawn condemnations and warnings from Western countries.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded an “immediate” halt of the Russian-German gas pipeline project Nord Stream 2. Zelensky also called for serious sanctions against Russia. The Ukrainian President added that they would seek to suspend diplomatic relations with Russia.

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire said that France would not allow Putin to “violate international law”.

The UK has announced that they would announce a series of economic sanctions that will “hit Russia very hard”.

“We will hit Russia very hard, and we will do more if it invades Ukraine,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.

The White House has similarly announced that they would impose new sanctions starting this Tuesday.

Germany, which has a Nord Stream 2 agreement with Russia, warned Russia not to escalate military tensions.

The United Nations’ Security Council has called for an emergency meeting over the Ukraine crisis. Many other Western countries have made similar calls. This month, Russia is holding the term presidency of the Security Council.