“We call on the Russian Federation to repeal this decision and to refrain from further aggravating the situation. We urge Member States to resolve their differences through dialogue based on respect for the principles enshrined in the Council of Europe and the EU Charter.”
Earlier today, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the recognition of Russia in the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) constitutes a complete rejection of the commitments under the Minsk agreements and runs counter to Russia’s commitment to diplomacy.
“We strongly condemn [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putinthe decision to recognize the so-called “Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics” as “independent.” As we said in the Duma’s first request, this decision represents a complete rejection of Russia’s commitments under the Minsk agreements, is in direct contradiction to Russia’s alleged diplomacy and is a clear attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, “Blinken said in a statement.
Yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognizing the independence of the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
The United States and its allies later called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation in Ukraine.
Recent tensions are the result of Russia’s construction of some 150,000 troops across the border, which began in the autumn, east of the Donbas region, north of Belarus and southern Crimea.
Source: ANI
Source: The Nordic Page