European leaders stressed that the European Union would respond “firmly” to the Russian president’s recognition of separatist regions in Ukraine, amid fears of a full-scale war.
The High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union, Josep Borrell, said Putin’s move represented a “flagrant violation of international law, the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the Minsk agreements.”
Borrell added, in a tweet on Twitter, that the reaction of the European Union and its partners will be united, firm and resolute in solidarity with Ukraine.
For his part, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stressed that Russia’s recognition of the independence of the two republics, which are not internationally recognized, “constitutes a flagrant violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Johnson added, during a press conference, that the Russian recognition constitutes a “repudiation of the Minsk process and agreements” concluded in 2015 to bring peace to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Latvia has called for immediate sanctions against Russia, following its recognition of the separatist regions.
In a speech to the Russian people, Putin stressed that Ukraine is an “inseparable part of Russia’s history” and declared the decision to recognize the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent republics of Ukraine.
Putin signed the resolution recognizing the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent republics from Ukraine, stressing that the decisions taken are to preserve Russian security.
In the letter, Putin said that the former communist leader, Joseph Stalin, “liberated Ukraine and gave it some land to form its state… which is an integral part of our history.”
As for the disputed Donbass region, Putin said that it was “withdrawn from Russia’s sovereignty to Ukrainian sovereignty”… He stressed that eastern Ukraine is an “old Russian land.”
