Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday recognized Ukraine’s breakaway regions – Donetsk and Luhansk – as independent entities escalating the ongoing tensions between the two countries….reports Asian Lite News
Russia and China on Thursday discussed Moscow’s recognition of the people’s republics of Donetsk and Luhansk.
The discussions took place between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in a phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, reported Sputnik.
The foreign ministers expressed a shared opinion that Kiev’s refusal, “encouraged by the United States and its allies,” to implement the Minsk agreements, approved by the UN Security Council, caused the current crisis.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday recognized Ukraine’s breakaway regions – Donetsk and Luhansk – as independent entities escalating the ongoing tensions between the two countries.
Moreover, Wang said Lavrov that China understands Moscow’s ‘reasonable concerns on security issues’ over Ukraine.
“An exchange of views took place concerning the current situation in eastern Ukraine following Russia’s recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, and President Vladimir Putin’s decision to respond to the appeal of the DPR and LPR heads, with the sanction of the Russian Federation Council of the Federal Assembly, by a special military operation to protect people, including hundreds of thousands of Russian citizens, from a real threat to their life and security, coming from the current Ukrainian regime, which does not abandon attempts to solve the Donbas crisis by force,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Zelensky slams allies
The sanctions imposed on Moscow are not enough to curtail Russian military operations against Ukraine, the country’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday and added that they are defending their country alone.
Speaking after a reported Russian operation in the capital of Kiev, Zelenskyy said the world was still just observing the events in Ukraine from a distance.
“This morning, we are defending our country alone. Just like yesterday, the most powerful country in the world looked on from a distance,” he said in a Facebook video, as quoted by CNN.
“Russia was hit with sanctions yesterday, but these are not enough to get these foreign troops off our soil. Only through solidarity and determination can this be achieved,” he added.
Leaders from a number of countries including the UK, the US, Canada, and the European Union have condemned Russia’s military operations in Ukraine. They have also imposed heavy sanctions on Russia.
US President Joe Biden on Thursday said that the US will introduce a new wave of sanctions against Russia in a broad effort to isolate Moscow from the global economy.
The new package of sanctions aims to cut Russia off from the US financial markets and includes freezing the assets of four major Russian banks, including VTB Bank, the nation’s second-biggest bank.
Hours after that, President of the European Council Charles Michel said that the EU has made a political decision to impose additional sanctions on Russia over its military operation in Ukraine. (ANI)