Not To Recognise Breakaway Ukraine Regions: UK Warns Russia
NDTV
UK reacted after Russia's parliament voted on Tuesday to urge Putin to recognise the independence of the two Ukrainian separatist regions.
The UK government on Thursday warned the Kremlin against formally recognising two pro-Moscow separatist territories in Ukraine, days after the Russian parliament voted to urge President Vladimir Putin to do so.
"The Duma's request that Vladimir Putin recognises the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent shows flagrant disregard for Russia's commitments under the Minsk agreements," British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement.
The agreements -- named after the Belarus capital where they were struck in 2014 and 2015 -- sought to halt the war between the Ukraine government and the secessionists and remain the only existing framework for resolving the conflict peacefully.
"If this request were accepted, it would represent a further attack on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, signal an end to the Minsk process and demonstrate a Russian decision to choose a path of confrontation over dialogue," Truss said.
