As of: 02/21/2022 9:05 p.m
Russian President Putin has recognized the separatist “republics” in eastern Ukraine as independent. He signed a corresponding decree, as shown by state television. The EU had threatened sanctions in the event.
The step had already been announced – now Russian President Vladimir Putin has recognized the two separatist regions of Luhansk and Donetsk in eastern Ukraine as independent “people’s republics”. State television showed how the head of the Kremlin signed a corresponding decree after a request from the separatists. Putin said he was confident that the Russian population would support his decision.
In his speech, he described Ukraine as a US colony with a puppet government. The US and NATO have blatantly turned Ukraine into a theater of war, Putin said. US drones stationed there would constantly spy on Russia. Ukraine joining NATO would pose a direct threat to Russian security. NATO has completely ignored Russia’s concerns.
Putin questions Ukraine’s statehood
In addition, Putin questioned the statehood of Ukraine as a whole. The Kremlin boss described it as a state created by Russia under the communist revolutionary leader Lenin. The monuments to Lenin were destroyed there as a sign of “decommunization,” he said, with a view to abolishing what was left of communism. “We are ready to show Ukraine what true decommunization is.”
Ukraine has never had “real statehood” but rather copied models, Putin said. Radicals and nationalists are in charge there today – among the Western curators, who have led the country into a dead end. Corruption and power struggles by oligarchs would prevent people in the ex-Soviet republic from doing better.
EU threatens sanctions
The EU had previously threatened Russia with sanctions if it recognized the separatist areas. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that in this case he would “put punitive measures against Russia on the table”. The EU states would then have to decide on this. “We call on President Putin to respect international law and the Minsk agreements and not to recognize the independence of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions,” Borrell said.
According to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the EU has already prepared comprehensive economic and financial sanctions. They are to be triggered in close consultation with the USA and other western partners.
Scholz had called for de-escalation
In a telephone call that afternoon, Chancellor Olaf Scholz warned Putin against recognizing the “people’s republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk. This will be “in blatant contradiction” to the Minsk agreements on the peaceful settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine and would be a “unilateral breach” of these agreements by Russia, a spokesman said.
Scholz again called on Putin to de-escalate and withdraw the combined forces from the border with Ukraine. He emphasized that it is now important, especially in eastern Ukraine, to comply with the ceasefire and set signs of relaxation.
In a video message broadcast on Russian television, the separatist leaders in Donetsk and Luhansk asked for recognition and also for cooperation with Moscow “in the field of defense”. The Russian lower house also demanded recognition.