Ukraine crisis: ‘Donetsk, Luhansk applied officially to Russia for recognition of their independence’
The Russian Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission in India announced on February 23 that Donetsk and Luhansk have applied to Russia for official recognition of their freedom.
Ever since Russia recognised the two breakaway regions in Ukraine – Donetsk and Luhansk -- as independent, it has been caught in the quagmire of international sanctions and condemnation for violating the Minsk process that began in 2014.
The Russian Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission in India announced on February 23 that Donetsk and Luhansk have applied to Russia for official recognition of their freedom. During a press conference, the Russian diplomat, Roman Babushkin also criticised Washington, claiming that the US began its internal influence in domestic affairs in countries across the post-Soviet space, including Ukraine.
Also read: Russia-Ukraine crisis has its roots in post-Soviet politics: EAM Jaishankar
Russian Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission, New Delhi, Roman Babushkin stated, “Today Donetsk and Luhansk applied officially to Russia for recognition of their independence. But from the very beginning, the US started its internal influence in domestic affairs in countries all post-Soviet space, including Ukraine.”
Following that, on February 22, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko announced that Moscow recognises the LPR and the DPR within the limits of their leadership's capabilities. Further, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for the Kremlin, stated that when Russia recognises the independence of the DPR and LPR, it refers to the areas where they declared independence.
Several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the European Union, have slammed Putin's move against the Minsk Agreement.
South Korea was in talks with the United States on the possibility of joining sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis, but not considering military assistance, the Yonhap news agency said on Wednesday, citing the presidential Blue House.
While many Western countries have imposed sanctions on Russia in the wake of the Ukraine crisis, China has never thought sanctions are the best way to solve problems, its foreign ministry said on Wednesday, when asked if the Asian nation would join Western countries in sanctioning Russia over Ukraine.
Also read: Donald Trump says Ukraine crisis could have been averted if he was President