Russian State Duma Appeals to Putin

Members of the Russian State Duma have voted in favor of an appeal to President Vladimir Putin, requesting the recognition of the independence of the self-proclaimed republics of Luhansk and Donetsk. This is reported by Ria.ru.

351 lawmakers voted in favor of the document, authored by the Communist Party of Russia, while 16 voted against and 1 abstained.

According to the Russian legislators, such recognition would "create a basis for ensuring protection and security guarantees for the residents of the self-proclaimed republics from external threats and the implementation of genocidal policies," as well as for "strengthening international peace and regional stability."