Moscow has recognized the Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk within the borders they've had as regions of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters at a press conference at the Kremlin on Tuesday.
“We have recognized them, which means that we recognize their basic documents, including their constitutions. Those constitutions set the boundaries as those of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions from the time they were a part of Ukraine,” Putin told reporters after a meeting with his counterpart from Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.
Putin recognized the sovereignty of the two breakaway republics on Monday, and asked the Russian Ministry of Defense to deploy peacekeepers into both Donetsk and Lugansk in order to provide for their security.
Earlier on Tuesday, the upper house of the Russian parliament has authorized the deployment of Russian troops abroad “in accordance with the principles and norms of international law.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded to Russia's recognition of the Donetsk republics by saying that he was considering shuttering diplomatic relations with Moscow
Biden orders troops to countries bordering Russia
President Joe Biden announced plans to shift some of the US military’s European forces into Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, reinforcing NATO’s northeastern flank after Russia formally recognized the sovereignty of the breakaway Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.
Biden announced the military maneuvering on Tuesday, as he gave a scathing speech accusing Russia of trying to gobble up its neighbor’s territory and announced new sanctions. The Pentagon reportedly said 800 soldiers will be moved to the Baltic region from Italy, while eight F-35 jets will be shifted to Eastern Europe from Germany. In addition, 32 Apache helicopters will be moved to Poland from Germany and Greece.
The moves come a day after President Vladimir Putin announced Russia’s recognition of the Donetsk (DPR) and Lugansk (LPR) People’s Republics as sovereign nations and suggested troops could be sent on a peacekeeping mission in the breakaway territories. Russian lawmakers on Tuesday granted Putin’s request for permission to potentially deploy forces abroad.
Russia will defend Donetsk and Lugansk – Moscow
Moscow will act as a guarantor of the security and integrity of the two breakaway Donbass republics in Donetsk and Lugansk, Russia’s top diplomat has said, after the Kremlin affirmed their status as sovereign states amid a worsening standoff with Ukraine.
Speaking as part of an appearance on TV channel Russia 24 on Tuesday, Sergey Lavrov stressed that the two regions will be independent, with that status enshrined in pacts inked by President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of the two republics, Denis Pushilin and Leonid Pasechnik, the day before.
“Treaties of friendship, cooperation, and mutual assistance have been signed between Russia and these new states, in which we promise to safeguard their security,” the foreign minister said. “I think everyone understands that,” he added.
Putin said that the decision was in response to years of conflict in war-torn eastern Ukraine and accused Kiev of not being “interested in peaceful solutions,” claiming that its officials “want to start Blitzkreig.”
Ukraine asks for help and mulls retaliation against Russia: Six key takeaways from Zelensky’s speech
Despite Russia’s recognition on Monday of Donbass’ breakaway regions as sovereign states and an order to deploy troops there, Ukraine doesn’t believe there will be a war, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday.
The Ukrainian leader is considering breaking diplomatic relations with Russia and wants more foreign assistance for his country, he said during a joint press conference with the visiting president of Estonia, Alar Karis.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has asked Zelensky to cut all diplomatic ties with Russia, the president said. “I will be deliberating this issue and others right after this conference,” he said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry responded to the warning by saying it had no desire for such a move. “That would be Kiev’s decision,” spokesman Andrey Rudenko said.
Zelensky rejected the idea of talking to the leaders of the breakaway republics, branding them “terrorist organizations” and stating dismissively that he “didn’t know who they were.” The remark came after a journalist asked whether Ukraine would pull back its troops, as requested by the rebel leaders.
Moscow said Kiev’s continued refusal to talk with Donetsk and Lugansk about how they might resolve their conflict was a major factor in its decision to recognize their independence.
The Ukrainian president said he expected other nations to impose “swift sanctions” on Russia in response to its Monday announcement. In particular, he requested that the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline, which connects Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea, be banned from pumping fuel. Germany announced on Tuesday that its certification process had been suspended.
February 22, 2022 - Russian state news RIA Novosti has announced that the meeting between France's Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that was scheduled for February 25th has now been canceled in the midst of ever increasing tensions between Russia and the West. Read more
February 22, 2022 - The Russian President held a meeting of the Russian Federation Security Council at the Kremlin. Read more
February 22, 2022 - The following is a conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergey Naryshkin, who says he supports making the LPR and DPR part of the Russian Federation. Read more
February 22, 2022 - The head of the Belarusian Army, Viktor Vulevich stated that the withdrawal of Russian troops from Belarus primarily depends on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) pulling back its own forces from the region. Read more
February 22, 2022 - The U.S. Department of State has released a statement regarding the move of Department of State personnel to Poland for the night. Read more
February 22, 2022 - Tanks and military vehicles were reportedly spotted on the outskirts of Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine by a Reuters reporter, according to Reuters. Read more
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