Russian State Duma to consider draft resolutions calling on Putin to recognize Donetsk and Luhansk ‘people’s republics’

On Tuesday, February 15, Russian lawmakers will consider two draft resolutions appealing to President Vladimir Putin to recognize the self-proclaimed “people’s republics” in eastern Ukraine, Interfax reports.

State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin wrote on Telegram that if the first resolution is adopted, it will be sent to the president immediately. If the second resolution is adopted, it will be sent to the Russian Foreign Ministry and other government agencies for consultations, before being returned to the State Duma for consideration. 

Communist Party (KPRF) lawmakers submitted the first draft resolution calling on Putin to formally recognize the Donetsk and Luhansk “people’s republics” to the State Duma on January 19. 

United Russia lawmakers Viktor Vodolatsky and Artyom Turov submitted the second draft resolution to the parliament on February 14. Last month, the ruling party called on the Russian leadership to begin openly supplying the unrecognized republics with military aid, to deter alleged aggression from Kyiv. 

Ukraine has been at war with Russian-backed separatist forces in its eastern Donbas region since 2014. Since the fall of 2021, Western countries have warned of a possible escalation of the conflict as Russia has massed more than 100,000 troops along its border with Ukraine and in Belarus. The buildup has led to a sharp increase in international tensions, as Western countries fear that Moscow is planning to launch a full-scale attack on Ukraine. Russian officials deny the accusations, claiming the troop movements are part of military drills.