Of course, officially it is not an invasion. Russia recognized to so-called Ukraine rebel regions Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states. Consequently, Russian president Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian troops to “maintain peace” in these two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine. In two official decrees, Putin on Monday instructed the country’s defense ministry to assume “the function of maintaining peace” in the eastern regions. The White House said it will slap sanctions on the Russian-occupied regions. Here is Putin’s declaration on TikTok: