Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the sovereignty of the people’s republics of Donetsk and Luhansk on Monday, February 21.
This decision was made by the head of state after an extraordinary meeting of the Security Council.
“I deem it necessary to make a decision that should have been made a long time ago – to immediately recognise the independence and sovereignty” of the regions, Mr Putin said, after accusing Ukraine of committing “genocide” against their mostly Russian-speaking residents.
According to the president, the decision was made due to the fact that Kiev “is trying to organize a Blitzkrieg in Donbas again, as it already happened in 2014 and 15”.
At the same time, 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.
The decree signed by Mr Putin includes an order to Russia’s defence ministry to send an unspecified number of soldiers to the regions to support peace.
The leaders of Donetsk and Luhansk appealed to Mr Putin to recognise their independence amid a surge in shelling in the Donbas area of eastern Ukraine.
“Those who seized power and keep power in Kyiv, we demand they stop the hostilities immediately. Otherwise, all the responsibility for the possible continuation of the bloodbath will be on the conscience of the regime that is ruling in Kyiv,” Mr Putin said.
European reaction
Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel, presidents of the European Commission and Council respectively, called Mr Putin’s decree on recognition “a blatant violation of international law, the territorial integrity of Ukraine and the Minsk agreements”.
“The union will react with sanctions against those involved in this illegal act,” they said in a joint statement.
The White House said US president Joe Biden would sign an executive order on sanctions to prohibit any US economic ties with Donetsk and Luhansk.
The measures announced by the EU and US are not thought to be part of a package of severe new economic sanctions that western leaders say they will impose on Russia if it launches a fresh attack on Ukraine.