Putin on Donbass’ Republics Issue

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed the recognition of the two breakaway republics, Donetsk and Lugansk, within the borders they've had as regions of Ukraine.

RELATED:
Over 40 Thousand Refugees From Donbass Arrive in Russia

The president called on the Russian Ministry of Defense to mobilize forces guaranteeing peace in both regions.

Putin remarked that Russia recognizes their basic documents, including their constitutions, which set the boundaries of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions since they were part of Ukraine.    

Andrey Rudenko, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, expressed Moscow's will to respect the borders of the two republics according to where local leaders exercised authority and jurisdiction.

Russian troops' deployment abroad has been authorized complying with the principles and norms of international law, the upper house of the Russian parliament stated.

However, any details regarding specific limits on the use of the military, the number of troops, as well as the areas of their activity, their goals, and the duration of their stay outside Russia have not been revealed. The president will decide such issues in accord with the Constitution. In this sense, he said that an immediate military move should not be assumed.   

On the other hand, Russia's recognition of the Donbass republics has brought along a series of sanctions. The U.S. has already sanctioned the two breakaway regions and announced sanctions for more than 350 members of the Russian parliament who voted for the decision and 27 more individuals and legal entities. The U.K. answered alike, sanctioning five Russian banks and freezing the assets of very high net worth individuals.

Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, said that he had under consideration to shutter diplomatic relations with Moscow. However, he expressed his hope that there would be no confrontation with Russia.