The Latest: Australian PM says Russia should leave Ukraine

Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Russia should “unconditionally withdraw” from Ukrainian territory and cease to threaten its neighbors

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The Latest on the Russia-Ukraine crisis (all times local):

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Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Russia should “unconditionally withdraw” from Ukrainian territory and cease to threaten its neighbors.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered forces Monday to “maintain peace” in separatist regions of eastern Ukraine, hours after the Kremlin recognized the area’s independence. The announcement raised fears that an invasion was imminent, if not already underway.

Morrison at a news conference Tuesday in Australia's Tasmania state said Russia’s actions were “unacceptable, it’s unprovoked, it’s unwarranted.”

“It is important that like-minded countries who denounce this sort of behavior do stick together and I can assure you that the moment that other countries put in place strong and severe sanctions on Russia, we will be in lockstep with them and we will be moving just as quickly and that is what their discussions that we have been engaged with now for some time with our partners,” he said.

The Kremlin decree left unclear when, or whether, troops would enter Ukraine. But it brought swift promises of new sanctions and underscored the steep challenges of staving off a military conflict.