Putin sent the Russian army to Donbass – World

Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed the Ministry of Defense to ensure the maintenance of peace in the DPR and LPR by the Russian armed forces, Russian agencies reported.

“In connection with the calls of the leaders of the DPR and LPR, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation to ensure that the armed forces of the Russian Federation in the territory of the republics perform peacekeeping functions until the conclusion of the treaty,” the statement reads. the presidential decree.

It is a Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Assistance with each of them, for which the Foreign Ministry is instructed to start negotiations with the authorities in Donetsk and Luhansk. The decree shall enter into force immediately. It is not clear how long it will take to establish diplomatic relations, negotiate, prepare a treaty, present, sign and ratify it.

In a statement tonight, Putin said Moscow was urging Kiev authorities to “immediately cease hostilities (…) otherwise the full responsibility for the continued continuation of the bloodshed will lie entirely with the conscience of Ukraine’s ruling regime.” In the end, he announced that he immediately recognized the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.

Shortly afterwards, Russian television broadcast footage of him entering one of the Kremlin’s halls, where leaders of the two separatist territories in Ukraine await him, and signed decrees recognizing them. It is not clear whether his address and especially the ceremony were not recorded in advance.

The documents signed by the president must be ratified by the Federal Assembly, which Putin has urged to speed up.

The type, number and location of these Russian “peacekeepers” are yet to be seen. But the first comments are that this will not look like the military offensive the West has been warning about in recent weeks. The question is what will happen when these Russian units come into contact with the Ukrainian army along the dividing line.

As well as whether this line already exists at all, after it was agreed within the framework of the Minsk agreements, and they no longer exist with Putin’s unilateral act.

Details coming later at www.dnevnik.bg.

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