Ukraine crisis: 'Who in Lord's name does Putin think...?' says Biden

As he announced new sanctions against Russia, US President Joe Biden said: "Who in the Lord's name does Putin think gives him the right,” on  his Russian counterpart’s recognisation of the independence of breakaway regions Donetsk and Luhansk.

Addressing the nation on the crisis from the White House, Biden also said Putin's moves are the "beginning of a Russian invasion". 

"Who in the Lord's name does Putin think gives him the right to declare new so-called countries on territory that belongs to his neighbours?" Biden asserted from the White House podium.

Biden said he’s sending additional US troops to the Baltics in a move to defend NATO countries. And the president said sanctions will increase if Russia “continues its aggression,” calling the penalties he announced a first step.

 “We have no intention of fighting Russia.” The U.S. is sending about 800 infantry troops and 40 attack aircraft to the Baltics and NATO's eastern flank from other locations within Europe, according to a senior defense official. In addition, a contingent of F-35 strike fighters and AH-64 Apache attack helicopters will also be relocated.

Earlier Tuesday, members of Russia's upper house, the Federation Council, voted unanimously to allow Putin to use military force outside the country —effectively formalizing a Russian military deployment to the rebel regions, where an eight-year conflict has killed nearly 14,000 people.

Shortly afterward, Putin laid out three conditions to end the crisis that has threatened to plunge Europe back into war, raising the specter of massive casualties, energy shortages across the continent and global economic chaos.

Putin said the crisis could be resolved if Kyiv recognizes Russia's sovereignty over Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Moscow annexed after seizing it from Ukraine in 2014, renounces its bid to join NATO and partially demilitarises.