Biden dials Zelenskyy, reaffirms US commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty

Washington [US], February 22 : US President Joe Biden on Monday spoke with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to reaffirm the commitment of the United States to Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The conversation comes at a time when Putin on Monday signed a decree recognizing the independence of Ukraine breakaway regions Donetsk and Luhansk.
Biden updated Zelenskyy on the United States' response, including US' plan to issue sanctions. In his phone call, Biden reiterated that the United States would respond swiftly and decisively, in lock-step with its Allies and partners, to further Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Biden also strongly condemned Russian President Putin's decision to purportedly recognize the "independence" of the so-called DNR and LNR regions of Ukraine.
After Putin's announcement, the US said that it will soon impose sanctions on two Russia-backed separatist regions in Ukraine. The US strongly condemned Putin's decision to recognize the "so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics" as "independent."
President Biden will sign an Executive Order that will prohibit all new investment, trade, and financing by U.S. persons to, from, or in the "so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics"
"As we said when the Duma first made its request: this decision represents a complete rejection of Russia's commitments under the Minsk agreements, directly contradicts Russia's claimed commitment to diplomacy, and is a clear attack on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," said the White House in a statement.
In another development, Putin has ordered the sending of Russian Armed Forces to Ukraine breakaway regions after recognizing their independence in his Monday address to the nation.