Russian Recognition of DPR and LPR Pursues Peace Over Aggression by Kiev

by Stephen Lendman

Despite US/Western propaganda claims otherwise — regurgitated by their MSM echo chamber — Russia's actions on Monday fully complied with international law in pursuit of peace and stability to war-torn Donbass.

On Tuesday, Speaker of Russia's upper house Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko said the following:

Vladimir Putin acted responsibly in full compliance with international law.

"For eight years (since Feb. 2014) we have been relentlessly persuading the authorities in Kiev, (and US/Western regimes) that we need to resolve this issue, and stop the Ukrainian conflict."

"We did everything we could to be heard." 

"Unfortunately, we can see that the situation has deteriorated."

"We have seen Ukraine's military gearing up for another attempt to resolve this problem using force." 

"We understood that this couldn't go on any longer."

Russia is trying to halt Kiev's aggression on Donbass. 

"I am sure (that) Russia will not allow any more victims from now on."

What's been going on "has great geopolitical, historical and moral significance."

Russia's upper and lower houses ratified the treaties of friendship and cooperation with Donbass — recognizing their self-determination as sovereign independent states.

Though Tuesday, about 100,000 Donbass women, children, elderly and other residents were granted safe haven in Russia's Rostov region.

They're sheltered from harm's way, fed, given medical care as needed, along with other humanitarian aid.

On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova slammed US/Western criticism of Russia's legal action as "groundless hysteria and intimidation."

"Is this something new," she asked?

"Not at all." It's same old, same old Russia bashing.

What's going on was planned long in advance.

What more they have in mind will be rolled out in the coming days.

It was coming no matter what Russia does or doesn't do.

At the same time, Moscow's compliance with the rule of law is ignored.

Ignored as well are flagrant US/Western breaches of international law time and again with disturbing regularity.

On Tuesday, Putin stressed the following:

"We intend to act the same way with regard to all our neighbors going forward."

"It's different with Ukraine." 

It's because the country is used by US-dominated NATO for waging cold and proxy war on Russia.

Its actions "create threats to the Russian Federation. That's the only reason."

"After the (Obama/Biden regime's) coup in Ukraine, we do not see that level and quality of interaction in (the country). It vanished."

"I want to emphasize. It happened after the coup and the illegal seizure of power by" criminal parties.

As for suspension of certification of Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany, Putin called the Scholz regime's action regrettable.

It's an "economic, commercial project."

Along with being mutually beneficial for Germany and other nations involved, it's crucial for supplying European markets with readily available, vitally needed, low-cost Russian natural gas.

According to deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev:

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's suspension of Nord Stream 2's certification will double the cost of natural gas to $2,200 per thousand cubic meters for European countries by getting it from other sources.

His harebrained action harms Germany, other nations and their consumers.

US-installed Kiev puppet Zelensky lacks sense, sensibility and savvy enough to deal with diabolical aims concocted by the US/West.

Lavrov called the former comedian/performer an "unstable and dependent man" — easily manipulated to serve US/Western interests no matter how harmful to his nation.

Separately, Lavrov explained that hegemon USA-dominated NATO goes out of its way to invent Russia bashing pretexts.

Notably the Biden regime and dominant congressional hardliners are threatening what they call "the mother of all sanctions."

"We're used to" US/Western hyperbole and hostile actions for invented reasons.

They achieve greater bilateral divisions and heightened tensions alone, nothing strategic.

As for EU regimes, they long ago sold their soul and credibility to Washington's diabolical interests at the expense of their own.

On Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia supports the established borders and territorial integrity of the DPR and LPR.

According to EU reports, the block will illegally sanction Russian lawmakers who voted for their sovereign independence.

A blitzkrieg of illegal US, UK and EU sanctions on Russia and its officials likely lies ahead.

The action in breach of the UN Charter is what I call waging war by other means — along with other hostile actions short of hot war.

By recognizing DPR and LPR self-determination as affirmed by international law, Putin did the right thing.

In March 2014, Crimean parliamentarians and their Sevastopol counterparts declared independence from Ukraine in response to the Obama/Biden regime's Maidan coup.

Days later, Crimeans and Sevastopol residents voted overwhelmingly to rejoin Russia, wanting a historic error corrected.

Russian parliamentarians overwhelmingly approved reunification. So did its Constitutional Court.

A Kremlin document said reunification was "based on the free and voluntary expression of will by the peoples of Crimea at a nationwide referendum, held in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol on March 16, 2014, during which the people of Crimea made the decision to reunite with Russia."

Two new Russian constituent territories were formed – the Republic of Crimea and Federal City of Sevastopol, given "special autonomous status."

Crimea's land border with Ukraine became Russia's state border. 

Crimeans automatically became Russian citizens. 

Those wishing to retain Ukrainian citizenship were free to do so.

Russia should afford residents of Donetsk and Lugansk the same rights as Crimeans.

If referendums are held in both republics and overwhelmingly support unification with Russia, the Kremlin, State Duma and Federation Council should accommodate their legitimate aim.

It's the right thing to do.

The UN Charter and other international law affirm the right of self-determination for all people everywhere.