Russia Declares Formal Recognition Of Ukraine Separatist Regions As Sovereign States
by Jonny Tickle and Gabriel Gavin | RT
Francesco Abbruzzino, The Uncensored Report, LLC
UPDATE: Watch Putin’s live statement on Donbass recognition below.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has told foreign leaders that Moscow is likely to officially recognize the sovereignty of the Donetsk (DPR) and Lugansk (LPR) People’s Republics in Ukraine’s war-torn east.
In a statement released on Monday, the Kremlin revealed that Putin had notified French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that he intends to sign a decree recognizing the two separatist Donbass regions “in the near future.” Accordingto officials, the two leaders “expressed their disappointment with this development.”
In a statement issued earlier the same day, the EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, urged the Kremlin not to make the decision, arguing it could be a precursor to the DPR and LPR being “annexed” by Russia. “If there is annexation there will be sanctions, and if there is recognition I will put the sanctions on the table and the ministers will decide,” he said.
Macron will now host an emergency security meeting in response to the Kremlin’s announcement, Reuters reported moments after it was communicated.
The move follows requests on Monday from Denis Pushilin and Leonid Pasechnik, the leaders of the DPR and LPR, calling for Moscow’s backing. Putin chaired a televised meeting of the Russian Security Council to consider the request, in which he was urged by top officials to grant both regions recognition.