US President Joe Biden on Tuesday imposed sanctions on Russia for sending troops to two cities separated from Ukraine.
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According to the news agency Reuters, the US President has said that Russia has intervened in Ukraine by sending its troops.
The sanctions would impose a ban on Americans doing business or investing in either of Ukraine's two states.
The US president has called Russia's action a Russian intervention on Ukrainian soil.
The breakaway states of Donetsk and Luhansk are located in the eastern part of Ukraine. Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the recognition of the two states' sovereignty.
On the other hand, the US Secretary of State met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov
Earlier, Russia's upper house of parliament allowed President Vladimir Putin to use military force outside the country on Tuesday. President Putin wrote a letter to the House asking for permission.
According to the Associated Press (AP), a letter written by President Putin to the upper house of parliament has formalized the deployment of Russian troops in rebel-held areas in eastern Ukraine. The letter came a day after the Russian leader acknowledged the independence of rebel-held areas.
A total of 153 Russian senators voted in favor of the decision, according to AFP. No senator opposed, and no one abstained. The ruling allows President Putin to use Russian troops abroad to help separatists in Ukraine.
The letter also shows Putin's intention to launch a wider attack on Ukraine. Earlier, Western leaders said Russia had reached eastern Ukraine. The United States has called the attack an attack.
Earlier on Tuesday, Putin signed friendship agreements with rebel-held areas, paving the way for the deployment of Russian troops there.
On the other hand, the White House on Tuesday called the deployment of Russian troops in eastern Ukraine an "attack." The United States has initially refrained from using the word "attack." US President Joe Biden has called Russia's invasion of Ukraine a "red line" and said the United States would impose tougher sanctions on Moscow.
Earlier on Tuesday, several European leaders said Russian troops had arrived in rebel-held areas after Putin's recognition. However, some Western leaders have indicated that Russia's action is not a complete attack, which has long been feared. The White House later signaled a change of heart.
According to John Feiner, the US president's principal deputy national security adviser, "We believe that this is the beginning of an invasion of Russia, the latest invasion of Ukraine. Attack, attack happens and that's what's happening. "
