EU Strongly Condemns Russian State Duma's Call to Recognize Donetsk and Luhansk as Independent Entities

The High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, has stated that the EU strongly condemns the Russian State Duma's decision to appeal to President Putin to recognize territories in the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk that are not under government control as independent entities.

“Recognition could be a clear violation of the Minsk agreements,” Borrell said.

Earlier, the Russian State Duma had voted in favor of a resolution to recognize the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics during a plenary session. According to Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the lower house of Parliament, lawmakers believe that recognizing the DPR and LPR would create a foundation for ensuring security guarantees and protection of the republics' residents from external threats, as well as for strengthening international peace and regional stability.