Ukraine’s parliament urges NSDC to sanction Russians who voted to recognize Donbas statelets
Ukraine’s parliament has passed a resolution recommending that the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) impose ten-year sanctions against members of Russia’s State Duma, Russian politicians, and officials involved in recognizing the so-called “people’s republics” of Donetsk and Luhansk.
The resolution, reported on the Ukrainian parliament’s official website on Feb. 23, is aimed at laying the groundwork for an NSDC decision to impose personal, special, economic and other sanctions against persons involved in recognizing the so-called “L/DPR” (“Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics”).
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Feb. 21 recognized the independence of the non-government-controlled parts of Ukraine’s Donbas region, and immediately ordered Russian troops into Ukrainian territory on a self-proclaimed “peacekeeping” mission – representing a Russian withdrawal from the Minsk Agreement peace process, Ukrainian officials say.
The move came after a months-long military buildup of Russian troops on the Russian-Ukrainian border.
Following Russia’s actions, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry sent a request to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to sever diplomatic relations with Russia.
Ukraine and the international community have condemned the Kremlin’s decision, while the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and the European Union announced initial sanctions in response to Russia’s violation of international law.
On Feb. 22, Russia’s Federation Council greenlighted the deployment of Russian military forces abroad.
Earlier, Russia made claims that “genocide” was being carried out in the Donbas region.
Russia on Feb. 16 opened a criminal case against Ukraine for allegedly mistreating civilians in the Donbas.
There is no evidence to back up Russia’s claims of genocide.
Russia claims that in August-October 2021 it found five mass graves in the occupied regions of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts in eastern Ukraine.
Journalist Olga Khudetskaya pointed out that these mass graves had been found in territory that has been occupied by Russian proxy forces since 2014, when Russia first launched its armed offensive against the Donbas.
No credible evidence of persecution of Ukrainian Russian speakers has ever been presented, with an overwhelming majority of such claims, all originating from Russia, having been debunked as either false, or misinterpreted and highly exaggerated.
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