Head of Russia’s Parliament: Putin asked for permission to use Russian troops abroad

The head of the Russian parliament said on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had asked for permission to use Russian troops abroad. The Russian parliament will now vote on this request.

Presumably, this refers to Russia’s plans to set up military bases in the pro-Russia breakaway regions of Eastern Ukraine which Russia recognized as independent nations on Monday. However, the vote could allow Putin to order a further military incursion into Ukraine.

Market sentiment remains choppy on Russia-Ukraine-NATO headlines and the latest news appears to have driven a few negative ticks in US equity markets. The S&P 500 recently pulled back under 4350 and into the 4330s where it now trades back in the red on the day by about 0.3%.

The parliament on Tuesday voted to ratify Putin’s agreements with east Ukraine’s separatist republics, a day after the Russian leader recognized their independence and ordered troops to be sent there.

Under the agreements, Russia will be able to send troops, set up military bases and jointly defend the territories of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) and Lugansk People’s Republic (LNR).

The lower house of the Russian parliament, the Duma, voted unanimously to approve the deals. The voting ended in standing applause from MPs.

“This is the only way to protect people, stop the fratricidal war, prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and bring peace,” the Duma’s chairman, Vyacheslav Volodin, said in comments published on the parliament’s website.