After Moscow’s recognition on February 21 of the two self-proclaimed breakaway republics in eastern Ukraine, the Russian press as a whole applauded. Georgia sees it as a repetition of the scenario of 2008, when Russia recognized the two separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
“Well done, Putin! eight years in hell [pour les habitants du Donbass, dans l’est de l’Ukraine] have ended”notes the Russian site Kingdom taking up one of the messages posted on social networks by residents of the Russian city of Rostov, bordering Ukraine.
After President Vladimir Putin’s televised address, on the evening of February 21, announcing the recognition of the independence of the pro-Russian secessionist republics of Donbass, that of Donetsk and that of Luhansk (DPR and LPR), at their own request, “on the streets of Russian cities and towns people lit fireworks”reports the pro-Kremlin Russian newspaper Vzgliad.
Same joy in Donetsk, where “fireworks lit up the sky 15 minutes before curfew started”reports the Russian daily Komsomolskaya Pravdawhich recalls that until recently, the recognition of the independence of these republics “seemed fancy”.
“A post-Ukrainian world”
“The recognition of our independence by Russia saves us from annihilation”rejoices in the pages of Vzgliad Andrei Pourguine, former Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Donetsk.
“The Kremlin’s decision is historic”finds Vzgliad in another article. Clearly, “we have here a new ideology of the foreign policy of Russia”. Political economy expert Vladimir Avatkov confirms in the same newspaper:
We are witnessing the birth of a post-Ukrainian world.”
Russia “avoided a war for everyone”
This world “post-Ukrainian” Does it pose threats to Russia? Certainly, and which will be caused by new “inevitable economic sanctions” of the West against Moscow, analysis on the Russian site Freedom Pressa President of the Foundation for the Study of Regional Policy Ilya Grachtchenkov. But he is hardly alarmist: “We’re just gonna wake up [le 22 février] in a country with more problems than yesterday, but that’s all.”
For the Russian senator from Crimea Olga Kovitidi, interviewed by the Moscow daily Izvestia, by its decision, Russia “saved everyone a war” and for this, Europe “must say thanks” in Moscow. She greetsone of the most important geopolitical events after the reunification of Crimea with Russia [en 2014]”. Being optimistic, she foresees “a long period of political dialogue” between Russia and the West, more precisely Europe, which must “to change his attitude about the architecture of
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Alda Engoian