The UN Security Council will convene in an emergency meeting on Monday as Russian President Vladimir Putin attempts to provide military assistance to Ukraine's separatist areas.

Putin declared the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics independent on Monday, calling it a "far overdue decision." The Russian president then urged the country's MPs to pass legislation allowing for military assistance to the "republics." The decision was made in a pre-recorded address in which the president blamed NATO for the crisis.

As a result, the UN Security Council will convene an emergency meeting on Monday night. The meeting was convened at Ukraine's request, which was backed by United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

 

"Russia's actions threaten the international order that, since World War II, has stood for the principle that one country cannot unilaterally redraw another country's borders," Thomas-Greenfield said. "This principle is enshrined in the UN Charter which all Member States pledge to uphold."

"The Security Council must demand that Russia respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, a UN Member State," she continued. "The Kremlin's actions today are a wholesale rejection of the Minsk agreements and a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2202 (2015)."

"Russia's announcement is nothing more than theater, apparently designed to create a pretext for a further invasion of Ukraine. We must all stand with Ukraine in the face of this brazen attempt to usurp Ukraine's sovereign territory. There can be no fence-sitters in this crisis."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the nation after 2 a.m. local time Tuesday, saying Ukraine will not cede.