NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has issued a statement condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recognition on Monday evening of two breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine as independent states. The Kremlin’s decision to recognize the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk “erodes efforts to resolve the conflict & violates Minsk agreements,” Stoltenberg tweeted. He added that NATO “supports Ukraine sovereignty & territorial integrity. We urge Moscow to stop fuelling conflict & choose diplomacy.”