At the end of his televised and seemingly choreographed meeting with his Security Council on Monday regarding recognizing the Russian separatist regions, President Vladimir Putin said that he would make a final decision “today.” A short time later, Russian state TV cited spokesman Dmitry Peskov in announcing that Putin will hold a televised address, set to take place shortly.

The recognition by Russia of two self-proclaimed republics in the Donbas region would essentially mean a war in Europe. No members of the security council advised against recognition of the breakaway Republics in the pre-recorded meeting.

Putin: So now I would like to ask everyone attending do we have any diverging points of view or any diverging opinions about the matters we are discussing now. No?
Sec. Council members: [quiet breathing] pic.twitter.com/8qo277jT5I

— Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) February 21, 2022

It was only a short time after the meeting was aired on Russian TV and online that news broke of Putin’s televised address to the Russian people, during which it is most likely that he will recognize the separatists as independent.

Once that recognition is made Russia can be expected to deploy “peacekeeping forces” to the areas, which the Russian government has claimed are home to an attempted “genocide.”

NEW: Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin will make a national TV address shortly, Kremlin says. This comes after Putin said he would decide today whether to recognize Russia-backed separatist regions in eastern Ukraine. https://t.co/ztl4wd7gWp

— ABC News (@ABC) February 21, 2022

UPDATE: Russia Today and other outlets are now reporting that Putin has told French President Emmanuel Macron he will be recognizing Donbass “independence.”

UPDATE 2: Russian state TV has changed the estimated time of Putin’s address from within a half hour to “shortly.”

Watch the clips above, via Ruptly on YouTube.
RT is funded by the Russian government.

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