“Putin is Testing Us,” Says US Ambassador and Urges UN Members to Impose Sanction on Moscow

The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on Monday night to discuss the advancement of Russian forces into two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine – Donetsk, and Lugansk after the Russian President Vladimir Putin on late Monday announced that Russia would recognize independence of the two breakaway regions.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the announcement by Putin was a threat to Ukraine and also to every other member state of the United Nations as well, citing that Russia is testing their international system and resolve to see how far the Kremlin can push the group.

The U.S. ambassador said that Washington will step up the sanctions on Russia on Tuesday and also urged other members to impose severe consequences on Moscow as well.

“An attack on Ukraine is an attack on the sovereignty of every UN member state, and the UN charter,” said Greenfield.