By recognizing the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, Russia violated the basic rules of international law enshrined in the UN Charter and undermined the global security architecture, a high-level Eurocrat said on Tuesday.
Speaking at the Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific in Paris, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans condemned Moscow for its “blatant” and “unacceptable” decision to recognize the independence of the two breakaway regions in the Donbass.
“Today, without any doubt, is one of the darkest days in modern European history. Russia is no longer the power to dominate, therefore [it] chooses to disrupt,” Timmermans said. “Our reaction to that behavior is going to determine not just the security of Europe; it is going to determine global security for the years to come. It’s not just a European problem even though it happens in Europe.”
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognizing the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) as independent and sovereign. The two regions broke away from Kiev in 2014, following the events of the Maidan when violent street protests toppled the government. The document will allow Moscow to sign international agreements with the breakaway states, such as official requests for humanitarian aid or deployment of a peacekeeping mission.
Putin’s decision to recognize the breakaway states came after eight years of Moscow calling for them to be reintegrated into Ukraine with a special status, as agreed in the 2014 and 2015 Minsk agreements. However, after almost a decade of stalemate in the peace process, Putin declared them to be independent nations, something he had previously ruled out.