Published:
21 feb 2022 13:40 GMT
The two announcements came minutes before the start of an extraordinary meeting of the Russian Security Council.
The leaders of the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, Denís Pushilin and Leonid Pásechnik, addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, asking him to recognize the independence of both territories.
Both leaders have also urged the Russian president to evaluate the possibility of reaching friendship and cooperation agreements between Moscow and their respective territories, including the field of defense.
“Vladimir Vladimirovich, in order to prevent the massive death of the population of the republic, of which 300,000 are Russian citizens, I ask you to recognize the sovereignty and independence of the Luhansk People’s Republic,” Passechnik said in a video statement. For his part, Pushilin asked the Kremlin to “consider the possibility of concluding a friendship and cooperation agreement” with the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic.
The two announcements have taken place minutes before the beginning of a Extraordinary meeting of the Russian Security Council.
- Last Friday, the leaders of Donetsk and Lugansk they urged the population to evacuate to Russia before a possible Kiev offensivebut exhorted the men to stay and protect their territory
- While the citizens evacuate to Russia, they have intensified attacks on the territory of Donbass from the positions of the Ukrainian government forces
- Donetsk People’s Militia spokesman Eduard Basurin declared last Saturday that the DPR obtained the offensive plan from the Ukrainian forces, the purpose of which is to “cleanse” the area of its Russian-speaking population
