The White House has described Russia's actions in eastern Ukraine as an "invasion."
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki made the statement in a tweet responding to Germany's stopping its approval of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline over Russia's actions over the last 24 hours.
"POTUS made clear that if Russia invaded Ukraine, we would act with Germany to ensure Nord Stream 2 does not move forward. We have been in close consultations with Germany overnight and welcome their announcement. We will be following up with our own measures today,” Psaki wrote.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday evening ordered his defense ministry to dispatch peacekeepers to Donetsk and Luhansk, eastern Ukraine's two breakaway regions, Reuters reported.
The order came hours after Putin signed an order recognizing the independence of pro-Russian separatist groups in eastern Ukraine, further raising fears that he intends to launch a military invasion of Ukraine.
Putin announced his decision in a conversation with French President Emanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Scholz said that Russia would be in violation of the 2015 Minsk agreements if it went ahead with the move.
Psaki's statement comes after a senior British minister said Tuesday that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has already begun, calling Russia’s recognition of parts of eastern Ukraine as independent, breakaway states an “attack” on Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Health Minister Sajid Javid, a member of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s cabinet, said in an interview with Sky News Tuesday morning that Russia’s announcement that it considers territories in eastern Ukraine to be independent is tantamount to an assault on Ukraine’s sovereignty.
The “invasion of Ukraine has begun,” Javid said, adding that the West is “wake up to a very dark day,” Tuesday.
“We are waking up to a very dark day in Europe and it’s clear from what we have already seen and found out today that the Russians, president Putin, has decided to attack the sovereignty of Ukraine and its territorial integrity.”
“We have seen that he has recognized these breakaway eastern regions in Ukraine and from the reports we can already tell that he has sent in tanks and troops.”
“From that you can conclude that the invasion of Ukraine has begun.”
US President Joe Biden is facing calls from Republicans and Democrats to impose severe sanctions on Russia over its military entry into eastern Ukraine and recognition of the two provinces as independent.