Ukraine-Russia crisis: is the threat of a Third World War real?
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(CNN) ––
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic on Monday in a ceremony broadcast on state television.
The move comes amid rising tensions and fears of a Moscow invasion of Kyiv.
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Shortly before the signing, the Kremlin announced in a statement that Putin had informed French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz by phone that he intended to sign a decree "soon" to recognize the republics. Donbas separatists.
"Vladimir Putin informed them about the results of the enlarged meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, which considered the current situation around Donbas in the context of the decision of the State Duma on the recognition of the Donetsk People's Republics and Luhansk," a Kremlin statement said.
"Today, the leaders of the DPR (Donetsk People's Republic) and the LPR (Luhansk People's Republic) received calls to recognize their sovereignty in connection with the military aggression of the Ukrainian authorities, the massive shelling of the territory of Donbas, as a result of the suffering of the civilian population," the statement added.
Russian Security Council meets for Ukraine 1:16
Putin said he intended to sign a corresponding decree soon, the Kremlin added.
According to the Kremlin reading, Macron and Scholz "expressed their disappointment with this development. At the same time, they indicated their readiness to continue contacts."
Also, hours earlier this Monday, Putin indicated that he was evaluating a request by pro-Russian separatist leaders to recognize as independent the regions they control in eastern Ukraine.
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At that time, he indicated that "the purpose of today's (Monday) meeting is to listen to colleagues and determine our next steps in this direction, including the appeal of the leaders of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic to Russia seeking recognition of their sovereignty and the resolution of the State Duma on the same issue," Putin told his security council, in remarks broadcast on television.
Despite Russian forces concentrating on Ukraine's border, the spotlight last week turned to the rumbling low-intensity war in eastern Ukraine and its possible role in setting the stage for a broader conflict.
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Ukrainians say bombing by Russian-backed separatists is at its highest point in nearly three years.
And, for their part, the separatists point to the use of heavy weapons by the Ukrainian armed forces against civilian areas.
Kyiv said it recorded more than 100 violations of the truce in the east, after a day of heavy weapons fire that sparked fears of a Russian invasion.
Leaders of the two pro-Russian breakaway territories, which call themselves the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics, said the Ukrainians are planning a major military offensive in the area.
On Friday they organized mass evacuations of civilians to Russia, while instructing the men to stay and take up arms.
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly denied any such plans.
The US had already warned that it would respond if Russia recognized separatist regions
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously warned of "a swift and firm response" from the US, its allies and partners if Russia took steps to recognize Ukraine's breakaway regions as part of Russian territory.
At the time, he even described such a measure as a "serious violation of international law."
“To be clear: The approval of this request by the Kremlin would amount to the total rejection by the Russian government of its commitments under the Minsk agreements, which outline the process for the full political, social and economic reintegration of the parties to the conflict. the Donbas region of Ukraine controlled by Russian-backed forces and political representatives since 2014,” Blinken said last week when this issue was under discussion in the Russian Duma.
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The conflict explained
"Issuance of this resolution would further undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, constitute a serious violation of international law, further call into question Russia's stated commitment to continue to engage in diplomacy to achieve a peaceful resolution of this crisis. .
And it would require a swift and robust response from the United States in full coordination with our allies and partners,” Blinken wrote.
The State Department has not elaborated on what that "quick and firm response" would entail.
Vladimir Putin