State Duma of Russian Federation Supports Draft Appeal to Putin on ‘Recognition of LPR/DPR’

The members of the State Duma of the Russian Federation by a majority vote supported the submission of the appeal to President Vladimir Putin with a request to recognise the so-called the “Donetsk People’s Republic” and “Luhansk People’s Republic.” The decision was supported by 351 MPs; 16 members voted against, one abstained.

The document was initiated by representatives of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation. It also provides for prompt negotiations with the leaders of the militants “to create a legal basis for interstate relations and regulate all aspects of cooperation and mutual assistance.”

According to TASS, State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said that the adopted resolution “will be signed immediately and sent to the head of state.”

At the same time, the Parliament of Ukraine approved the appeal to the United Nations, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, governments and parliaments of world countries on non-recognition of the independence of self-proclaimed entities in the temporarily occupied territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Ukrainian MPs urge strong condemations of any actions of the Kremlin aimed at worsening the situation on the borders of Ukraine and, accordingly, Europe. They also call for additional sanctions to prevent further escalation.

Meanwhile, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin was ready to negotiate the situation around Ukraine and European security issues. The spokesman also noted that “Ukraine is only part of a larger problem of security guarantees for Russia.”

Bohdan Marusyak