So, two new independent states appeared on the world map. Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics. Donbass, which Russia has been mastering for centuries, and which was Ukrainianized by the will of the Bolsheviks at the beginning of the 20th century, largely against the wishes of local residents, is returning to its original identity. The president’s decision was preceded by a large meeting of the Security Council, following which the head of state made an appeal and signed historic decrees.
Is there a chance that Ukraine will begin to implement the Minsk agreements 7 years after they were signed, the president asked during an emergency meeting of the Security Council and received an answer from various branches of the Russian government – no, the Kiev regime is not interested in this. Since 2015, the peaceful settlement of the crisis in Donbass has been at zero. And in recent days, it has generally moved back – large-scale shelling of the territories of the DPR and LPR has resumed.
“From the very beginning, Russia did everything to resolve all the contradictions by peaceful means, by peaceful means. Nevertheless, the Kiev authorities twice carried out military punitive operations in these territories. And, apparently, we are witnessing an aggravation of the situation for the third time. All these years, I want to emphasize this, all these years the people who live in these territories were actually mocked.
Part of this strategy included an economic blockade and artillery strikes on populated areas. But it all started much earlier,” Putin said at a meeting of the Security Council.
In an address to the Russians, Putin, as part of a brief historical educational program, recalled that modern Ukraine, within its current borders, was constructed more than 100 years ago by the Bolsheviks, who, pandering to the ambitions of the nationalists, tried to retain power.
“As a result of the Bolshevik policy, Soviet Ukraine arose, which even today can be rightly called “Ukraine named after Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.” He is its author and architect. This is fully and completely confirmed by archival documents. literally squeezed into Ukraine. And now “grateful descendants” have demolished monuments to Lenin in Ukraine. They call it decommunization. Do you want decommunization? We are ready to show what real decommunization means for Ukraine,” the head of state said.
Decommunization, apparently, has become only a front for satisfying the interests of the Ukrainian oligarchs. In the struggle of industrial and financial clans (namely, this is what Ukrainian elections often represented), some politicians openly staked on nationalists and radicals. Others, while verbally advocating good-neighborly relations with Russia and thus gaining the support of voters, came to power and pursued a directly opposite policy.
“And yet, and yet, despite the well-known problems, Russia has always cooperated with Ukraine openly, honestly and, I repeat, with respect for its interests. Our ties in various fields have developed. Thus, in 2011, bilateral trade turnover exceeded 50 billion I would like to note that the volume of Ukraine’s trade with all EU countries in 2019, that is, even before the pandemic, was inferior to this indicator. advantages, but not incur any obligations. Instead of partnership, dependency began to prevail, which on the part of the Kiev authorities sometimes acquired an absolutely unceremonious character. Suffice it to recall the permanent blackmail in the field of energy transit and the banal theft of gas. I will add that in Kiev they tried to use dialogue with Russia, as a pretext for bargaining with the West, blackmailed him with rapprochement with Moscow, knocking out a preferential tion, they say, otherwise Russian influence on Ukraine will grow. At the same time, the Ukrainian authorities initially, I want to emphasize this, it was from the very first steps that they began to build their statehood on the denial of everything that unites us, they sought to distort the consciousness, the historical memory of millions of people, entire generations living in Ukraine, “Putin stated.
Maidan only finally tore off the masks. And he launched the persecution of opposition politicians, journalists, the ban on the Russian language. For the West, this is not a problem, but an opportunity. After all, it was after the Euromaidan that NATO deployed training missions in Ukraine. They are basically military bases. And the center of maritime operations in Ochakovo, which allows NATO ships to operate in the Black Sea near the Russian coast. Ukraine is becoming a training ground for constant exercises, which have an obvious anti-Russian orientation. All this is just an addendum to the dozens of active bases of the alliance in Eastern Europe, from where Russia withdrew its troops after the end of the Cold War as part of its obligations.
“We have consistently proposed various options for cooperation, including in the format of the Russia-NATO Council and the OSCE. Moreover, I will say now what I have never said publicly, I will say it for the first time. As President of the United States Bill Clinton, I asked him how America would feel about accepting Russia into NATO? I won’t reveal all the details of that conversation. But the reaction to my question looked, let’s say, very opportunities, in fact, can be seen in their practical steps towards our country, such as open support for terrorists in the North Caucasus, disregard for our demands and security concerns in NATO expansion, withdrawal from the ABM treaty, and so on and so forth. ask: why? Why all this? For what? Well, all right, you don’t want to see in our person a friend and ally, but why make an enemy out of us? There is only one answer – it’s not That is, in our political regime, in nothing else, they just do not need such a large independent country as Russia. This is the answer to all questions,” the president is sure.
An emergency meeting of the Russian Security Council, where the issue of recognizing the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics was discussed, was held in open mode, and this happens extremely rarely. Putin listened to everyone. A few hours later he announced the final decision.
“Presidents and Rada deputies are changing, but the essence of the aggressive nationalist nature of the very regime that seized power in Kiev does not change. It is entirely a product of the 2014 coup d’etat. And those who then embarked on the path of violence, bloodshed, lawlessness did not recognize no other resolved issue of Donbass, except for the military one. In this regard, I consider it necessary to take a long overdue decision – to immediately recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic. I ask the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation to support this decision, and then ratify the treaties of friendship and mutual assistance with both Republics. These two documents will be prepared and signed in the very near future. And from those who seized and hold power in Kiev, we demand an immediate cessation of hostilities. Otherwise, all responsibility for the possible continuation of bloodshed will be entirely on the conscience P regime ruling on the territory of Ukraine. Announcing the decisions taken today, I am confident in the support of the citizens of Russia, all the patriotic forces of the country,” Putin summed up.
Heads of the DPR and LPR Denis Pushilin and Leonid Pasechnik arrived at the Kremlin to sign the documents.
The papers are first placed on the table of the President of Russia, then the leaders of Donetsk and Lugansk put their signatures. In addition to the document recognizing independence, an agreement on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance was signed between Russia and the two republics.