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world news Diaranson 23 Februari 2022

Putin gets OK to use force outside Russia

(AP) — Russian lawmak- NATO and partially demili- into Donbas would not itself
ers on Tuesday authorized tarizes. The West has decried be a new step.”
President Vladimir Pu- the annexation of Crimea as
tin to use military force a violation of international The administration initially
outside the country — a law and has previously flatly resisted calling the deploy-
move that could presage a rejected permanently barring ment an invasion because
broader attack on Ukraine Ukraine from NATO. the White House wanted to
after the U.S. said an inva- see what Russia was actually
sion was already under- Asked whether he has sent going to do. After assessing
way there. any Russian troops into Russian troop movements,
Ukraine and how far they it became clear it was a new
Several European leaders said could go, Putin responded: invasion, according to a U.S.
Russian troops rolled into “I haven’t said that the troops official who spoke on the
rebel-held areas in eastern will go there right now.” He condition of anonymity to
Ukraine after Putin recog- added coyly that “it’s impos- discuss internal deliberations.
nized their independence. sible to forecast a specific
But it was unclear how large pattern of action –- it will For weeks, Western powers
the deployment was, and depend on a concrete situa- have been bracing for this as 2014 — broad territories that are on Ukrainian soil.”
Ukraine and its Western al- tion as it takes shape on the Russia massed an estimated extend far beyond the areas
lies have long said Russian ground.” 150,000 troops on three sides now under separatist control Poland’s Defense Ministry
troops were fighting in the of neighboring Ukraine — and that include the major and British Health Secretary
region, allegations that Mos- With tensions rising and a and promised swift and se- Azov Sea port of Mariupol. Sajid Javid also said Russian
cow always denied. broader conflict looking ever vere sanctions if it material- He added, however, that the forces had entered eastern
more likely, the White House ized. The European Union rebels should eventually ne- Ukraine, with Javid telling
Members of Russia’s upper began referring to the Rus- and Britain announced Tues- gotiate with Ukraine. Sky News that “the invasion
house, the Federation Coun- sian deployments in the re- day that some of those mea- of Ukraine has begun.”
cil, voted unanimously to gion known as the Donbas sures were coming — and Condemnation from around
allow Putin to use military as an “invasion” after initially more were expected from the the world was quick. Ukrai- Not all in Europe saw it that
force outside the country — hesitating to use the term — U.S., too. nian President Volodymyr way. Spanish Foreign Min-
effectively formalizing a Rus- a red line that President Joe Zelenskyy said he would ister José Manuel Albares
sian military deployment to Biden has said would result Western leaders have long consider breaking diplomatic noted “if Russia uses force
the rebel regions, where an in the U.S. levying severe warned Moscow would look ties with Russia and Kyiv re- against Ukraine, sanctions
eight-year conflict has killed sanctions against Moscow. for cover to invade — and called its ambassador in Mos- will be massive.”
nearly 14,000 people. He scheduled an address for just such a pretext appeared cow.
later Tuesday. to come Monday, when Pu- The Kremlin hasn’t con-
Shortly after, Putin laid out tin recognized as indepen- But confusion over what ex- firmed any troop deploy-
three conditions to end the The Biden administration’s dent two separatist regions actly was happening in east- ments to the rebel east, saying
crisis that has threatened to rhetoric hardened consider- in eastern Ukraine, where ern Ukraine threatened to it will depend on the security
plunge Europe back into war, ably in less than 24 hours. government troops have hobble a Western response. situation. Vladislav Brig, a
raising the specter of mas- The White House an- fought Russia-backed rebels. While Washington clearly member of the separatist lo-
sive casualties, energy short- nounced limited sanctions The Kremlin then raised the called it an invasion, some cal council in Donetsk, told
ages across the continent and targeting the rebel-region stakes further Tuesday, by other allies hedged. reporters that the Russian
economic chaos around the Monday evening soon after saying that recognition ex- troops already had moved in,
globe. Putin said he was sending tends even to the large parts “Russian troops have entered but more senior rebel lead-
troops to eastern Ukraine. A now held by Ukrainian forc- in Donbas,” EU foreign pol- ers didn’t confirm that. Late
Putin said the crisis could senior Biden administration es. icy chief Josep Borrell said in Monday, convoys of armored
be resolved if Kyiv recog- official, who briefed reporters Paris. “We consider Donbas vehicles were seen rolling
nizes Russia’s sovereignty about the sanctions targeting Putin said Russia has recog- part of Ukraine.” across the separatist-con-
over Crimea, the Black Sea the breakaway region, noted nized the rebel regions’ in- trolled territories. It wasn’t
peninsula that Moscow an- “that Russia has occupied dependence in the borders But he added: “I wouldn’t immediately clear if they
nexed from Ukraine in 2014, these regions since 2014” and that existed when they de- say that (it is) a fully fledged were Russian.
renounces its bid to join that “Russian troops moving clared their independence in invasion, but Russian troops

Bishops in Spain ask lawyers to audit their sex abuse record

(AP) — A Madrid-based church, the law firm and lishing new and additional bate: “It’s not easy to take a
law firm will conduct a the head of the country’s channels to collaborate and He said his firm would act quick decision.”
year-long inquiry into bishops’ conference said denounce in addition to those pro-bono and only seek for
past and present sexu- Tuesday. existing in over 40 offices es- the Episcopal Conference to Cremades and Omella pre-
al abuse committed by tablished by the Church.” pay logistical costs or the fees sented the law firm’s inves-
Spain’s Roman Catholic The public announcement of external advisors. tigation as an external audit.
clergy, members of reli- marked a departure from The inquiry is intended to Cremades said he wants to
gious orders, teachers and the previous position of the cover all abuse and is not lim- Although some bishops and coordinate with Spanish au-
others associated with the Spanish Episcopal Confer- ited to investigating only cas- religious orders had said they thorities, who are consider-
ence, which for years rejected es in a certain time period, ac- were open to an inquest, the ing an investigation of their
the idea of taking a compre- cording to Javier Cremades, Spanish Episcopal Confer- own.
hensive approach to investi- the law firm’s founder. ence previously rejected a
gating sex abuse. Some abuse comprehensive investigation, Spanish lawmakers are ex-
survivors met the news with Cremades said, as a faith- instead encouraging victims pected to vote in March on
skepticism. ful Catholic himself, he was to report their allegations to the terms of a parliamentary
both overwhelmed by the diocesan offices. investigation into the depths
Cardinal Juan José Omella, task and “convinced that the of the sexual abuse commit-
the conference’s president, Church must go to the end, Asked by The Associated ted by Catholic clergy. The
said the goal of the inquiry by get to the bottom, investigate, Press about the change in ap- Spanish government has
law firm Cremades & Calvo beg for pardon, if it’s needed, proach, Omella said that the proposed having the coun-
Sotelo “is the help and repa- and rectify everything that is audit was the result of long try’s ombudsman lead that
ration of the victims, estab- necessary.” reflection and internal de- inquiry.