Russian President Vladimir Putin, together with the leader of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, held a telephone conversation on Friday, February 25. The reason for it was a special operation to ensure the safety of civilians in the Donbass.
“The development of the situation was discussed in connection with the conduct of a special military operation to protect civilians in Donbass, as well as the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine,” the Kremlin press service informed.
Mirziyoyev supported the special operation carried out by the Russian troops and expressed sympathy for the residents of the Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics (LPR and DPR).
During the conversation, the parties touched upon some topical issues on the bilateral agenda and agreed on solidarity and continued close strategic partnership with an emphasis on the implementation of specific projects in the trade, economic and humanitarian fields.
Earlier in the day, the Russian leader held telephone conversations with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Chinese colleague called for the formation of an effective and sustainable European security mechanism and added that Beijing is in favor of a dialogue between Russia and Ukraine.
Also on February 25, Vladimir Putin had a telephone conversation with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad. During the conversation, the latter strongly supported the Russian-led special operation to protect the civilian population of Donbass.
On February 24, Vladimir Putin, in his special televised address, announced that a special operation would be carried out in the Donbass in order to protect the civilian population.
After the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of hitting the country’s military infrastructure and introduced martial law throughout the country.
On February 21, Putin signed decrees recognizing the independence of the LNR and the DNR. Also, the Russian leader and the heads of both republics Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin signed agreements on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance. The documents were ratified the next day by both the republics themselves and the Russian State Duma.
Since 2014, the Kiev 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 conflict.
The situation in Donbass escalated on February 17, 2022. 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.