Putin Orders Military Into Eastern Ukraine, Blames NATO Threat

(Bloomberg) — Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to conduct a special operation to “protect” the Donbas region of Ukraine, saying the U.S. crossed Russia’s “red line” by expanding NATO.

In a televised speech early Thursday, Putin said Russia doesn’t plan to occupy Ukraine. He accused the U.S. of refusing to negotiate on Russia’s security demands and said the current circumstances demanded immediate action. He appealed to Ukrainian soldiers to lay down their weapons and go home.