President Biden will soon impose sanctions on two Kremlin-backed separatist regions in Ukraine after President Vladimir Putin said Russia would recognize them as independent, the White House said on Monday. The big picture: The U.S. and European Union sharply condemned the announcement by Putin, calling it a violation of international law and a major blow to the peace process in eastern Ukraine. Many fear it could be a pretext for a larger Russian invasion. {tweet} • Biden spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Monday to condemn Putin's action and discuss "how they will ... (full story)