MOSCOW: Two decrees signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin recognise "the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR)" and "the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR)" as autonomous and sovereign states.
Putin also signed the Treaties of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance between Russia and the LPR and the DPR with the heads of the two "republics" during a ceremony in the Kremlin on Monday, according to a Kremlin statement.
In a televised address to the nation, Putin stated, "I feel it imperative to make a long overdue decision to immediately recognise the independence and sovereignty of the DPR and the LPR." "Russia has done everything it can to protect Ukraine's territorial integrity" by pushing for the implementation of the 2015 Minsk agreements, but he warned the people that his efforts were in vain.
Ukrainian bombardment of towns in Donbass occurs virtually every day, and "there is no end in sight." The European security crisis arose as a result of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) eastward expansion, which has resulted in a loss of mutual confidence with Russia, Putin stated. He believes it is only a "matter of time" before NATO accepts Ukraine as a member state and builds bases on its soil, increasing the level of military threats to Russia significantly.
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