The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that by recognizing the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), Russia “grossly trampled” the foundations of international law, the UN Charter, and also violated the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. The statement was published on Tuesday, February 22, on the website of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.
“The decision of the Russian Federation to recognize the so-called ‘Luhansk People’s Republic’ and ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ will not have any legal consequences. This decision sharply increases the escalation of the situation and may mean the only withdrawal of the Russian Federation from the Minsk agreements,” the message says.
The ministry stressed that, on behalf of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian diplomacy is currently using the entire diplomatic arsenal to prevent the outbreak of an armed conflict.
It is also noted that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic, Dmitry Kuleba, is in constant contact with his Western colleagues in order to coordinate diplomatic efforts to apply “tough sanctions against the Russian Federation.”
“The subsequent decisions and steps of the Russian Federation largely depend on the reaction of the world to events. Therefore, we insist on the application of painful sanctions against Russia in order to send a clear signal about the inadmissibility of further escalation,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry concluded.
Earlier that day, Zelensky addressed the citizens of Ukraine and announced that he had initiated an emergency meeting of the Normandy Four summit. He stressed that the country will remain within the borders recognized by the international community, and they will remain the same, “despite any statements and actions of the Russian Federation.” The Ukrainian leader noted that Kiev is faithful to the “peaceful and diplomatic path” and will continue to follow it for the sake of the only goal – peace in the country.
On February 21, Zelensky had a telephone conversation with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. As noted on Downing Street, the head of government condemned the Kremlin’s decision to recognize Luhansk and Donetsk as independent republics and noted that this step made the Minsk agreements unworkable.
In addition, on the same day, the Ukrainian leader discussed the recognition of the independence of the DPR and LPR with his American counterpart Joe Biden.
On Monday, February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the independence of the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics. In addition, the Russian leader, the heads of the Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin signed an agreement on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance.
The signing of the documents was the result of an extraordinary meeting of the Russian Security Council, during which its members unanimously supported the recognition of the independence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.
On February 21, Denis Pushilin and Leonid Pasechnik addressed the Russian leader with a request to convene a meeting. They urged to consider the possibility of concluding an agreement on friendship and cooperation between the parties.
The situation on the line of contact in Donbass escalated on February 17. The DPR and LPR reported heavy shelling by Ukrainian security forces, including with heavy weapons. At the same time, Kiev announced the shelling of the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
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