The possible recognition by Russia of the self-proclaimed republics of Luhansk (LPR) and Donetsk (DPR) in Ukraine's breakaway Donbas region should be viewed in the context of its commitment to make Kiev fulfill the Minsk agreements, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th January, 2022) The possible recognition by Russia of the self-proclaimed republics of Luhansk (LPR) and Donetsk (DPR) in Ukraine's breakaway Donbas region should be viewed in the context of its commitment to make Kiev fulfill the Minsk agreements, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday.
Last week, the Russian Communist Party asked President Vladimir Putin to consider recognizing the LPR and DPR. The party's parliamentary faction also requested talks with the leadership of the Donbas republics to form a legal basis for intergovernmental relations and regulations of all aspects of cooperation.
"The issue of recognition should be considered in the context of our firm commitment to making the West and Kiev implement the Minsk agreements. Then, everything will be fine, as it is stipulated in this document (the Minsk agreements) approved, by the way, by the UN Security Council," Lavrov said in an interview with Russian news agencies, including Sputnik.
The top diplomat added that Russia will not allow for its interests to be "rudely attacked" or "ignored."
Russia does not want wars, Lavrov went on, but the West "hysterically" develops the topic of Russia's alleged military threat to Ukraine.
In recent weeks, the West has accused Russia of a military build-up and alleged preparation to invade Ukraine. Moscow rejected the accusations, saying that it views them as a pretext for deployment of NATO military equipment close to Russian borders.
The LPR and DPR proclaimed independence from Ukraine after a change of power in Kiev that they considered a coup in 2014. The new Ukrainian government launched an offensive and lost control over Donbas. France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine formed a platform for peace consultations, known as the Normandy format, and negotiated a package of peace measures in Minsk in 2015.
