Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the independence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DNR and LNR). He stated this during his appeal to the Russians, the broadcast of which led TV channel “Russia 24”.
“I consider it necessary to make a long overdue decision: to immediately recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic. I ask the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation to support this decision and then ratify the treaty of friendship and mutual assistance with both republics,” the President said, adding that both of these documents would be prepared and signed in the near future.
This decision was made due to the fact that Kiev “is trying to organize a blitzkrieg in the Donbas again, as it already happened in 2014 and 15,” the president explained. He stressed that Russia “did everything to preserve the territorial integrity of Ukraine”, but these attempts were in vain, since “the essence of the regime itself” in Ukraine does not change.
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The head of state signed the decrees after an extraordinary meeting of the Security Council. All members of the Security Council supported the recognition of the DNR and LNR. Among them, in particular, were Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin and Speaker of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko.
On February 21, the heads of the DPR and LPR, Denis Pushilin and Leonid Pasechnik, asked Putin to recognize the independence of the republics. Pushilin, in turn, also asked the President to consider the possibility of concluding an agreement on friendship and cooperation, providing for cooperation in the field of defense.
On February 15, the deputies of the State Duma, in the course of a rating vote, decided to immediately turn to Putin with the question of the need to recognize the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR.
The situation in the Donbass escalated sharply on February 17. The self-proclaimed republics and Kiev accuse each other of numerous ceasefire violations. In the DPR and LPR, a general mobilization was announced and a mass evacuation of residents to Russia was organized. According to the Kremlin, the situation on the line of contact in Donbass is escalated to the maximum.
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