The decision of the Russian Parliament to recognize the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics is a violation of the Minsk agreements.

 On February 15, the Russian Parliament voted to send an appeal to Vladimir Putin to recognize the “independence” of the occupied territories of Ukraine. The US Embassy in Ukraine stated that the decision of the Russian Parliament to recognize the occupied areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as independent is a clear violation of the Minsk agreements and another malicious attempt to violate Ukraine’s sovereignty. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz believes that the Russian side’s possible recognition of the so-called Donetsk and Lugansk “independence” would be a political disaster. In his opinion, all parties should return to the Minsk process.