Putin recognizes independence of Donetsk and Luhansk, Russian troops enter Eastern Ukraine

Putin recognized independence of LNR/DNR

Today, on February 22, a meeting of the UN Security Council is held in New York amid the extraordinary development of the Ukrainian crisis. Late on the evening of February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Russia’s recognition of the independence of the self-proclaimed LPR and DPR in Eastern Ukraine.

By two o’clock in the morning, Russian troops have already entered the territories of both regions.

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Meeting of the UN Security Council is a formality, since Russia, as a permanent member of the security council, has the veto right. 

Experts warn that the meeting of the UN Security Council is unlikely to have any practical consequences. Most likely, the Security Council will not even be able to adopt a resolution, since Russia has the right to veto it.

In February 2022, Russia acts as the chairman of the Security Council, and its representative will lead this emergency meeting.

Here are the main statements of the UN representatives:

• The UN Deputy Secretary-General warned of the risk of a large-scale conflict in Ukraine.

• The US permanent representative to the UN said that “Putin tore the Minsk agreements to shreds, and there is speculation that he will stop there”.

• The British Permanent Representative to the UN warned of serious economic consequences for Russia. She called to condemn the aggression against a sovereign state and protect the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

• The Permanent Representative of China called for continued dialogue to resolve the crisis peacefully.

• The Permanent Representative of Ukraine called on Russia to withdraw the recognition of the DPR and LPR and return to the negotiating table,

• “We are still open to diplomacy, to a diplomatic solution, but we no longer intend to allow a new bloody massacre in the Donbas,” said Vasily Nebenzya, Russia’s permanent representative to the UN.

West will not provide military support for Ukraine, but there will be sanctions against Russia

The White House has reiterated that the US has no plans to send troops to Ukraine.

By the time this article was published, Washington had released a list of sanctions against the DNR and LNR. Among them, is a prohibition on any financial and other relations with these republics, as well as a ban on flights, issuance of visas to residents, etc.

The first comments in Ukrainian and international media and social media about this are ironic – there have never been any significant American investments or contacts with these territories.

The White House said in a statement that these sanctions were adopted separately from the general reponse sanctions’ package of the Western countries. What else will be included in it is still unknown.

Sanctions against Russia have been announced by several Western countries, including the UK, Canada and Japan.

President of Ukraine: “Now we will see who our true friends and partners are”

At 4 am on February 22, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky gave an address in response to Putin’s decision.

Here are the main takeaways:

• Russia is legalizing the deployment of its troops, which have been stationed in the occupied areas of Donbas since 2014.

• “We want peace and we are consistent in our actions”.

• “We expect clear support and effective support steps from our partners. It is very important to see now who is our true friend and partner, and who will continue to try and intimidate the Russian Federation with words only”.

• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine sent a request to the member states of the UN Security Council on the basis of the Budapest Memorandum with a demand to immediately hold consultations.

• Zelensky called on the UN Security Council to hold a special meeting of the OSCE.

• An emergency meeting of the Normandy Four summit has been initiated.

• “We see the provocations and the offensive of the aggressor troops clearly.

• “We are on our own land. We are not afraid of anything or anyone”.

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What Putin said

Putin recognized the independence of the LNR/DNR

The extraordinary and blunt decision of the Russian President was announced as a live broadcast late on the evening of February 21st. However, many journalists and experts, based on the metadata of the video and other data (the time on Putin’s watch did not coincide with the time of the “live” broadcast), assume that this speech was pre-recorded.

It is now being discussed that in fact, the events could have occurred in a reversed order: first, a decision was made to recognize the breakaway regions, then Putin’s speech was recorded and then a pretext for the invasion began to be created – provocations and explosions began on the territory of the self-proclaimed LPR and DPR followed by the evacuation of the local population.

Main points of Putin’s speech:

• Ukraine was created by communist Russia, Lenin and his associates, on the territory of Russia.

• Stalin gave Ukraine the lands of Poland and Hungary. This is how the territory of Soviet Ukraine was formed.

• Events of the past cannot be changed. Ukraine is the legacy of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin – and now the monuments to Lenin are being demolished in Ukraine.

• Do you want decommunization? We can show you what real decommunization is.
• Maidan is a coup d’etat funded by Western money.

• In 2008, the United States pushed through the decision on the entry of Ukraine and Georgia into NATO

• The current leadership of Ukraine does not respond to citizens’ appeals. Subversive groups are thrown into Crimea. There was a statement that Ukraine is going to create its own nuclear weapons. The military pumping of the Kyiv regime is being carried out. Weapons continue to flow into Ukraine. 

• Russia provided economic assistance to independent Ukraine. Kyiv authorities became its dependents.

• Nationalism and Russophobia are flourishing in Ukraine and are promoted by the local Western non-governmental organizations.
• In 2000, during Bill Clinton’s visit to Moscow, I asked how America would feel about bringing Russia into NATO. The reaction was very restrained. If they don’t want to make a friend or comrade of us, why make an enemy of us?

• The question of Ukraine’s entry into NATO and the deployment of weapons here is a matter of time. There will be a threat of a surprise strike against Russia. Flight time of hypersonic missiles to Moscow is 4-5 minutes. This is like holding a knife to our throat. They expect to realize these plans. We will never allow this.

• Kyiv wants a blitzkrieg, genocide in the Donbas.

• Russia has every right to take retaliatory measures to ensure its own security.
• [I order to] immediately recognize the independence of the DNR and LNR.

By two o’clock in the morning, Russian military formations had already entered the DPR and LPR “to maintain peace”. 

Shared military infrastructure and banking system support

• Russia’s treaties with the LPR and DPR give the right to use military infrastructure and military bases on each other’s territory, as well as provide for the joint protection of the borders of Donbas.

• Russia will take measures to support the financial and banking systems of the DNR and LNR.

• Contracts are concluded for 10 years with automatic renewal.

international reaction to the recognition of the LNR/DNR

• The Prime Minister of Great Britain called it a violation of international law.
• The Danish Foreign Minister said that the decision was hostile and called Russia to end the violation of international law.
• The European Union also described it as a violation of international law and announced the upcoming harsh sanctions against Russia.
• The United States said that it was expecting a statement from Russia on the recognition of the DPR and LPR and added that it was ready to immediately respond to it.
• The Chairman of the Latvian Seimas initiated a resolution for the change in the status of the L/DNR to never be recognized.
• The Prime Minister of Poland called for an urgent meeting of the European Union summit and the imposition of sanctions against Russia.
• The President of Serbia said that the decision on Donbas would completely change the world order.
• The NATO Secretary-General condemned the recognition of the LDNR as it “undermined efforts to resolve the situation in Ukraine”.
• The Italian Foreign Ministry said that this decision violated Minsk agreements and prevented the crisis from being resolved by means of diplomacy.
• The President of Georgia described the recognition of the LDNR by Russia as the repetition of the 2008 scenario.
• The German Foreign Ministry called the recognition of the Donbas republics a gross violation of international law and called on Russia to cancel this decision.
• The President of Moldova condemned the recognition of the L/DNR.
• The Austrian chancellor called this decision a violation of the “Minsk agreements” and a blow to diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
• The French President called for the EU to introduce sanctions against Russia.
• Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua recognized the independence of the LPR and the DPR.
• Syrian President said that Damascus is ready to recognize L/DNR.