Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged calm as Russian troops poured into the eastern Donbas region and Western nations announced measures to punish Moscow for recognizing two Russian-controlled statelets there as independent.
Germany said it halted moves to open the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that would allow Russia to bypass Ukraine in exporting natural gas to Europe. The European Union proposed a ban on purchases of Russian bonds, sanctions on all members of the Russian parliament who voted in favor of supporting recognition of the two breakaway regions, and an asset freeze for three Russian banks with links to the two statelets.