Ukrainian President: We're not afraid of anything or anyone

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the nation overnight Monday, accused Russia of wrecking peace talks and ruled out making any territorial concessions, Reuters reported.

Zelensky said Ukraine was committed to peace and diplomacy after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order recognizing the independence of pro-Russian separatist groups in the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.

Putin later ordered his defense ministry to dispatch peacekeepers to Donetsk and Luhansk.

In his remarks on Monday night, Zelensky said Ukraine was expecting "clear and effective" steps from its allies to act against Russia. He called for an emergency summit of the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France.

Zelensky stressed that Ukraine is "not afraid of anything or anyone," and called the Kremlin's step "a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity" of his country.

Russia currently has over 150,000 troops stationed near the Ukrainian border. On Sunday, the US cited intelligence reports saying that Russian military officers have already received orders to launch the invasion of Ukraine.

Later on Sunday, the US embassy in Moscow warned Americans of potential attacks in public places in Russia, including along the border with Ukraine.

The embassy told Americans in Russia to "avoid crowds" and "have evacuation plans that do not rely on US government assistance".

At the same time, satellite imagery from US company Maxar revealed that there have been multiple new field deployments of armored equipment and troops in Russia near the border with Ukraine.