Russia recognizes independence of Ukraine’s separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk

Europe, News February 22, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Russia’s recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine came on February 21 when Russian President Vladimir Putin made the announcement in a televised speech after signing a decree to recognize the independence of “Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR)” and the “Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR)”.

The recognition of independence triggered widespread condemnation from the western world and it is been dubbed as a pretext for the Russian invasion into Ukraine.

Shortly after the announcement was made, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz got in touch with the Russian President via Phone call and expressed his concerns over Russia’s recognition of the two republics. He termed the recognition of the two republics as “a gross contradiction of the Minsk agreement for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in east Ukraine and a unilateral breach of these deals from the Russian side.”

Scholz also urged Russian President Putin to work actively in order to deescalate the situation and pull the troops back from the Ukrainian border.

Other EU and NATO member states also expressed their concerns about the situation after the news of Russia’s recognition surfaced. While speaking with the press on the matter, EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell stated that the EU bloc is “ready to react with a strong united front” if the situation persists.

The process of recognition of the two territories started on February 20, when President Putin indicated that he is considering the request of Luhansk and Donetsk leaders for recognition of independence. A few hours after the decree was signed, President Putin also ordered the Russian troops in Donbas to conduct only a ‘peacekeeping’ mission in the two regions.

*^{Flag of Donetsk People’s Republic. (Image Credit: ITAR-TASS/Zurab Dzhavakhadze)}*

Putin’s announcement also drew a lot of attention from Washington. U.S. officials responded to the news by stating that President Biden is consulting with the allies to coordinate in order to prepare and announce fresh sanctions against Russia. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield stated on February 21, “Tomorrow (on Tuesday, February 22) the United States will impose sanctions on Russia for this clear violation of international law and Ukraine sovereignty and territorial integrity,”. President Biden also got in touch with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to discuss the situation and assure his solidarity with Ukraine on the matter.

With the western countries showing a severe reaction to Russia’s recognition of the independence of the two republics, the Russian ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia warned the western powers to ‘think twice’ before worsening the situation. China’s ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun called for all the parties to restrain from escalating the situation.