US President Biden: “Russia attack is possible”, Russian President Putin: “Of course we do not want war”

Ukraine has called for an emergency meeting with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), based in Russia and Vienna, to vote on recognizing the Donetsk and Luhansk republics in eastern Ukraine. In those areas, pro-Russian separatists have been waging war against the Ukrainian government military since 2014.

In the context of the problems in Ukraine and its environs, the State Duma, the Russian parliament, today voted to recognize those territories. Duma President Vladimir Putin passed a resolution with a large majority calling for the recognition of the region.

The implementation of the resolution is not yet an official decision because it must be taken by President Putin. “The demand of the parliament only reflects the will of the Russian people,” the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov clarified today. Putin confirmed during a press conference that he was not going to proceed with the recognition for the time being.

If Russia recognizes the republics, it can openly supply arms to the region and strengthen its grip on Ukraine. But a recognition would mark the end of the Minsk Accords, which is the basis for talks on lasting peace in eastern Ukraine.

So it’s not a problem yet. Peskov said today that Russia is committed to the Minsk agreements, even though Ukraine and the European Union are committed to the referendum.