VideoKIEV, Ukraine — President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia signed a decree over the weekend recognizing passports issued by two separatist governments in eastern Ukraine, a step that Ukraine said would complicate peace negotiations. Mr. Putin’s decree stopped short of formally recognizing the two breakaway provinces as independent states. The latest decree came during a weekend of sharp criticism of Russia at a security conference in Munich. Vice President Mike Pence spoke at the conference, vowing to “hold Russia accountable” and offering some of the Trump administration’s toughest language yet about Russia. It was not clear whether Mr. Putin’s decree was a response to this hardening of positions, though Ukrainian officials suggested that it was.

Source: New York Times February 19, 2017 23:08 UTC