Earlier today the Kremlin announced that President Putin would soon sign a decree recognizing two areas of Ukraine controlled by Russian separatists as independent entities. Putin then gave a lengthy speech in which he described the history of Ukraine as intertwined with Russia and called it “madness” that Ukraine was allowed to leave the USSR.

In an evening address to the nation, Mr. Putin made the case that Ukraine is by history and makeup an integral part of Russia: “Colleagues, comrades, close ones, relatives, those who are tied up with us in family and blood ties.”

Mr. Putin also laid out a long history of grievances since the fall of the Soviet Union and the loss of the states that once made it up.

“We gave these republics the right to leave the union without any terms and conditions,” he Putin said. “This is just madness.”…

Earlier on Monday, Russian state television showed video of the Russian-backed leaders of separatist territories in eastern Ukraine appealing directly to Mr. Putin to recognize their independence.

After his speech ended, Putin did sign decrees related to the two separatist regions.

#UPDATE After nearly hour-long speech, Putin officially signs friendship and aid agreements with Ukraine separatist leaders pic.twitter.com/KvSMCfDaFB

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 21, 2022

Here’s a NY Times map showing the current border of Ukraine and the red line representing the area separatists would now control.

Now that Russia has recognized these two areas, Russia could cross the border of Ukraine to back them up if they call for aid.

Russia’s recognition of the two regions, the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic, could allow separatist leaders to request military help from Russia, further easing a path for a military offensive, Ukrainian officials say. Ukraine would likely interpret that as Russian troops entering Ukrainian territory.

The Washington Post reports Russia has been laying groundwork for this move for years.

Moscow has been preparing the ground for years — issuing Russian passports to 800,000 Ukrainians in the two separatist regions since 2019 so Russia could send in forces to “defend” them as its own citizens.

So this definitely looks like the prelude to an invasion. All that’s needed now is for the separatist regions to claim they are under attack, something that already seems to be happening today.

On Monday, both Ukrainian forces and separatists reported continued shelling of residential settlements.

Ukraine said late Sunday the separatist forces fired on rebel-controlled Luhansk in a provocation aimed at laying blame on the Ukrainian forces…

Moscow said Monday that Ukrainian military saboteurs had tried to enter Russian territory, leading to five deaths — an accusation Kyiv has dismissed.

At a minimum, Putin is about to take another slice of eastern Ukraine, similar to the annexation of Crimea in 2014. But most experts agree he now has enough troops in place to push forward and seize Kyiv. So the question is whether he’s willing to settle for another piece of Ukraine or if this time he’s looking to take control of all of it.

Putins’ full speech as translated by Kremlin run network RT is below. At the end of this you’ll see him signing the “friendship” documents. But before that, here’s some reaction to it on Twitter:

Putin's speech, to which I am now listening, is so full of historical nonsense that I don't even have the energy to correct it. For example: He skipped, completely, the Ukrainian bid for independence at the time of the Russian revolution.

— Anne Applebaum (@anneapplebaum) February 21, 2022

Even Lenin didn't think that Lenin invented Ukraine

— Anne Applebaum (@anneapplebaum) February 21, 2022

Smoke and mirrors. Putin just recognized an area in Ukraine he already controls by claiming to be stopping a genocide that isn’t happening.

— Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) February 21, 2022

"if you fight for your territory and your people, we will not help you," they will say. This is how the West treats democratic allies for the past 20 years. Bow to dictatorship, suffer for us while we do business with your invader and do nothing to help you. Shame.

— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) February 21, 2022

I wish Putin had invited Macron and Scholz and the rest to this meeting so they could hear to their faces how pathetic they have been and how Putin and his cronies have been laughing at them this whole time. He had a plan. He's executing it on time. They did nothing but talk.

— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) February 21, 2022

No one should bother deciphering this garbage. Putin wants conflict because he needs conflict. He must distract from his failures in Russia, destroy any democratic model nearby. He looked around to see if anyone with the power to stop him would use it, and they all declined.

— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) February 21, 2022

This isn’t over. If there is no significant reaction to Putin spewing lies and threats and seizing more Ukrainian territory, he will have no reason to send his forces home. Why not take more?

— Garry Kasparov (@Kasparov63) February 21, 2022

No matter what’s happening, some people never lose sight of the real enemy.

Gonna be wild if/when Putin’s grievance-ridden, erratic, revisionist history erasing Ukraine’s existence becomes standard talking points on American right wing media and among Republican politicians…

— Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid 😷 (@JoyAnnReid) February 21, 2022

Here’s Putin:

Update: Remember this?

Romney, who calls Russia our "No. 1 geopolitical foe," doesn't seem to realize it's the 21st century. #RomneyNotReady http://t.co/xcvhOAFS

— The Democrats (@TheDemocrats) October 22, 2012