Title: White House: Biden Will Issue an Order Banning Trade in Separatist Areas of Ukraine

The White House announced on Monday that U.S. President Joe Biden will soon issue an executive order prohibiting Americans from investing, trading, or financing in what are known as the Ukrainian separatist regions. On the same day, Russia officially recognized the regions of "Donetsk" and "Luhansk" as independent republics from Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a speech addressed to both the Russian and Ukrainian people, declared: "We announce our recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent republics," and immediately signed an official decree following this recognition. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated that these measures are separate from the rapid economic actions being prepared in coordination with allies in the event of an invasion. She added in a statement: the executive order will also authorize the imposition of sanctions on anyone found to be operating in those areas of Ukraine. To confirm his decision, Putin signed cooperation and friendship agreements with the republics of Luhansk and Donetsk, and requested the State Duma (parliament) to support his decision to recognize the independence of Luhansk and Donetsk. The recognition of the two regions as independent republics is likely to effectively terminate the Minsk peace process in eastern Ukraine, which Russia claims to be committed to, which is why some analysts question Putin's readiness to take such a step. This skepticism was reflected in the swift reactions from the West, including statements from Britain, Germany, Latvia, the United States, and the European Union. According to "Russia Today," Ukraine has been experiencing a severe political and military crisis since 2014, which erupted after a change of power in Kyiv following widespread protests backed by the West and heavy involvement from nationalist forces in the country. A war broke out in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, which is predominantly Russian-speaking, between local forces and the government, while local residents declared the establishment of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics in April 2014, which have not received any international recognition.