Leaders of Ukraine’s breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk asked Russia to recognise their independence on February 21, 2022.
- President Vladimir Putin told his Security Council on February 21 that Russia should consider recognising the independence of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic in Donbass as independent.
- Russian-backed rebels have been fighting Ukrainian troops in Donetsk and Luhansk since 2014, with regular violence despite a ceasefire agreement. But Western countries fear such a move could be used as a pretext for Russia to invade its neighbour.
About Donbass region
- Donetsk and Luhansk regions – collectively known as the Donbass – broke away from Ukrainian government control in 2014 and proclaimed themselves independent “people’s republics”, until now unrecognised. They are backed by the Russian Government.
- Since then, Ukraine says about 15,000 people have been killed in fighting.
- Russia denies being a party to the Ukraine conflict but has backed the Donbass separatists in numerous ways, including through covert military support, financial aid, supplies of COVID-19 vaccines and the issue of at least 800,000 Russian passports to residents.
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