The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus “with respect and understanding” perceives the decision of the Russian Federation to recognize the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DNR and LNR). This was announced on Tuesday, February 22, in a published statement by the department.
“This step by Russia has not only a political, but also a serious human, humanitarian dimension, given the number of Russian citizens living in these territories and experiencing hardships for almost eight years,” the report says.
The Belarusian Foreign Ministry noted that in recent years a number of Western countries have been solving their problems with the help of overt pressure and threats, using unilateral restrictive measures, hybrid influence and aggressive rhetoric.
A direct consequence of this was the rapid growth of tension in the Eastern European region and the degradation of the international security system, the ministry explained.
Minsk also called on all parties to the conflict to refrain from military escalation.
“We welcome the statements of the Russian side about openness to diplomacy in this context. The path of negotiations, in our understanding, is the only correct one in order to prevent bloodshed between the fraternal Slavic peoples, ”the Foreign Ministry added.
In turn, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said that the EU countries would react with a “united front” to Russia’s recognition of the independence of the DPR and LPR. In particular, the chairman of the foreign policy committee of the Bundestag, Michael Roth, called for urgent sanctions against “Putin’s oligarchs” who have personal interests in the West, Gazeta.Ru notes.
Also, response measures are being prepared in the United States. According to White House press secretary Jen Psaki, Washington was expecting a statement from Moscow recognizing the independence of the DNR and LNR and, in this regard, is ready to immediately respond to it.
On February 21, the President of Russia signed decrees recognizing the independence of the DNR and LNR. Also, the Russian leader and the heads of both republics Denis Pushilin and Leonid Pasechnik signed an agreement on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance. The documents were ratified on Tuesday by both the republics themselves and the Russian State Duma.
The situation on the line of contact in Donbass escalated on February 17. The DPR and LPR reported heavy shelling by Ukrainian security forces, including from heavy weapons. The republics announced a general mobilization and evacuation of civilians to the territory of Russia.
Since 2014, the Ukrainian authorities have been conducting a military operation against the inhabitants of Donbass, who refused to recognize the results of the coup d’état and the new government in Ukraine. At the same time, Kiev blames Moscow for the current situation. Russia has repeatedly stated that it is not a party to the intra-Ukrainian conflict. The issues of its settlement are being discussed in the Minsk and Normandy formats.