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Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday informed French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz by telephone that he would “soon” sign a decree recognizing the republics of Donetsk. and Lugansk, self-proclaimed by pro-Russian separatists in 2014 in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine.
In practice, such recognition would violate the Minsk Accords, put an end to the peace process between Kiev and the separatists and increase tensions over a possible invasion of Ukrainian territory by Moscow.
In a statement, the Kremlin cited “the military aggression of the Ukrainian authorities, the massive bombing of the Donbass territory, as a result of which the civilian population is suffering”.
Earlier, Putin said he was in favor of complying with the Minsk Accords, which aim to resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine and recognize the territories currently controlled by the separatists as part of Ukraine. Russia, like all other UN member states, did not recognize the two republics.
Earlier this week, the Duma, the lower house of the Russian parliament, approved a request for Putin to recognize the independence of the republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, a call reiterated on Monday by separatist leaders.
Putin has always supported the breakaway republics militarily and financially, although he publicly denies that he provides such assistance, and Russia has already handed over 700,000 passports to citizens of these two regions. The president has already described that “genocide” is taking place against separatists in Donbass.
More than 14,000 people have been killed in the conflict between Kiev and separatists since 2014. The ceasefire has already been flouted several times, but in recent days, with increased tension by the concentration of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine (the United States estimate around 190,000 troops), hostilities grew in Donbass.
The West fears that Putin is looking for a pretext to invade the neighboring country, such as an eventual request from Donetsk and Lugansk for military aid. Separatist leaders announced “full mobilization” over the weekend; earlier, they had reported that they had started the evacuation of civilians.
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