"The invasion of Ukraine has begun," warned UK minister

The United Kingdom believes Russia’s "invasion of Ukraine" officially started after Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics in eastern Ukraine, Health Minister Sajid Javid said Tuesday.

This is "a very dark day for Europe" because Putin "decided to attack Ukraine's sovereignty and its territorial integrity," Javid added in an interview with Sky News.

"We have seen that he has recognized the separatist regions of eastern Ukraine and, from the information we gathered, we can say that he sent tanks and military. We conclude that the invasion of Ukraine has begun," he added.

Javid reported that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to give a parliamentary statement on the Ukrainian crisis to report what is happening on the ground and the measures the UK intends to take.

"We have been clear from the beginning of this crisis that we will not hesitate to take action," the health minister.

Johnson spoke on Monday night with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, assuring him that the UK would implement strong sanctions on Russia.

The UK "will always prefer dialogue, and we will continue to do so, but it is clear from President Putin's actions that he has chosen confrontation over dialogue," he concluded.

Putin authorized the Ministry of Defense to mobilize troops to these two self-proclaimed independent territories to perform "peacekeeping functions." 

The leaders of Donetsk and Luhansk signed a "treaty of friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance" with Russia. Western leaders fear that the Russian president's orders could lead to a global war.