Sputnik International
By Evan Craighead
February 21, 2022
On Monday, the Russian Security Council and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a news conference in which they recognised the independence of the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. Putin called on Kiev to cease hostilities in the new states, warning that blame for continued regional conflict will be on “the regime ruling Ukraine”.
In an early Tuesday address to the public, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders will remain unchanged, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s decision to recognise the independence of the People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk.