'I immediately recognise the independence and sovereignty of the DPR and LPR' — main points from Putin's address following Security Council's meeting

“Ukraine is not just a neighbouring country for us, it is an integral part of our history”

Russia's President Vladimir Putin, after the meeting of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, said that he would make a decision on the appeal of the heads of the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics for recognition on that day. A few hours later, he made the televised address.

The head of the state began with the history of Ukraine. Realnoe Vremya presents Putin's main statements:

• Ukraine for us is not just a neighbouring country. It is an integral part of our own history, culture, and spiritual space. These are our comrades, relatives, among whom there are not only colleagues, friends, former colleagues, but also relatives, people that share with us the same blood, have family ties.
• Modern Ukraine was entirely created by Russia, more precisely, by Bolshevik, communist Russia. This process began almost immediately after the revolution of 1917, and Lenin and his associates did it in a very rude way towards Russia itself — by separating part of its own historical territories from it. No one asked the millions of people who lived there about anything, of course
• In 1954, for some reason, Khrushchev took Crimea from Russia away and also gave it to Ukraine. I ask myself again: why was it necessary to make such generous gifts, which the most ardent nationalists did not even dream of before, and even give the republics the right to secede from one state without any conditions?
• Modern Ukraine can be called “Ukraine named after V.I. Lenin”. This is confirmed by archival documents. And now grateful descendants have demolished monuments to Lenin. Do you want decommunisation? We are ready to show what real decommunisation means for Ukraine.
• The radicals who seized power in Ukraine organised terror, a series of unpunished murders took place, people were brutally murdered in Odessa, but the criminals were not punished — we know them by name and will do everything to punish them
• Corruption in Ukraine has eroded Ukrainian statehood, nationalists took advantage of this in 2014 with the support of the West.

Some of Putin's statements related to the tensions on the Russian-Ukrainian border:

• In Ukraine, many people do not have money to pay for utilities, this happens because the dowry from the Russian Empire was squandered and stolen.
• Statements were made about Ukraine's creation of its own nuclear weapons, and this is not empty bravado.
• It will be much easier for Ukraine to acquire tactical nuclear weapons, especially with technological support from abroad.
• Kiev continues to prepare a massacre of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate.
• Russia has direct evidence that Ukraine's aggressive actions against Crimea are carried out with the support of foreign intelligence services.
• The United States and NATO have begun the shameless development of Ukraine as a theatre of potential military operations. The command of the armed forces of Ukraine can go directly from NATO headquarters.
• Are you abandoning your own past, the so-called colonial heritage of the Russian Empire? Well, then be consistent here.
• Ukraine's accession to NATO is a direct threat to Russia's security.
• Every country has the right to conclude military alliances, but it is impossible to strengthen its security at the expense of the security of other states.

The next part of the Russian leader's address concerned the United States, Russian-American relations and the interaction of the States, NATO and Ukraine.

• I will say for the first time: in 2000, I asked Clinton how America would react to accepting Russia into NATO, the reaction looked very restrained.
• Don't you want to see us as a friend and ally? But why make an enemy of us? They just don't need such a big and independent country as Russia.
• We have received five waves of NATO expansion one after another.
• Ukraine's accession to NATO and the deployment of alliance facilities there is a foregone issue, it's a matter of time.
• The main opponent of NATO is Russia, Ukraine will serve as a springboard for attack.
• The United States is making an enemy of Russia only because they don't need such a big country.
• Kiev is again trying to organise a blitzkrieg in the Donbass, as in 2014 and 2015.
• The financial support of the Maidan from the US Embassy amounted to $1 million per day.
• Ukraine, the USA, and NATO completely ignored Russia's concerns, protests, and warnings. “They disregard for them. I assume that they will behave the same way, according to the well-known saying 'when the dogs bark, the camels just keep walking'.
• Sanctions will still be imposed as Russia's sovereignty strengthens. Just because we are. Russia has every right to take retaliatory measures.

“I immediately recognise the sovereignty of the DPR and LPR”

As a result, Putin finished his speech by announcing the recognition of the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics. After that, he signed the relevant decrees with their heads — Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin. The president of Russia also signed agreements on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance with the DPR and the LPR.

“I consider it necessary to make a long overdue decision. I immediately recognise the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic. I ask the Federal Assembly to support this decision and then ratify the treaty of friendship and mutual assistance," the Russian president said.

After signing the documents, Putin congratulated Pasechnik and Pushilin. Then the Russian leader had a conversation with them.

As expected, the West does not intend to put up with Russia's recognition of the independence of the DPR and LPR. A few minutes after Putin's statement, the European Union reacted — they said that the Russian Federation had violated the norms of international law. Besides, what happened there was regarded as a violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine and threatened Russia with new sanctions.

NATO also condemned Putin's decision. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is convinced that this step undermines efforts to resolve the situation in Ukraine. He called on Russia to stop fueling the conflict and choose diplomacy.

However, the decision has already been made. The State Duma stated that it is ready to consider all the necessary documents as soon as possible. The Federation Council is also ready to carry out all legal procedures promptly.

In Donetsk, Putin's decision was received enthusiastically. In honour of this, fireworks were launched into the sky.

Government “has long been preparing” to recognise the self-proclaimed republics

Today, the heads of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, Denis Pushilin and Leonid Pasechnik, asked the president of Russia to recognise their independence. They also asked the Russian leader to consider the possibility of concluding a cooperation agreement and the possibility of cooperation in the defence sector.

After that, Putin called an extraordinary meeting of the Security Council. At the meeting, the head of the state listened to the views of all members of the Council.

“It is going to be difficult, but after a while, with the skillful management of the situation, this tension, which is now vibrating around our country, it will subside. Not quickly, but human history is arranged in such a way that they will get tired of this situation and will themselves ask us to return to discussions and negotiations," said Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, ex-President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev.

Russia's Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev believes that Russia needs to negotiate only with the United States, everyone else will do what they say. He also called for support of the State Duma's appeal to recognise the independence of the DPR and LPR. Everything that is happening in the Donbass, according to Patrushev, was organised by the United States.

Russia's Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said that the government “has long been preparing” to recognise the self-proclaimed republics. All the risks, according to him, are well worked out.

“We need to escalate the situation, we support, we will do everything possible to ensure the economic development of the Russian Federation," said the prime minister.