Russia | Ukraine
Decision on recognising independence in 2 Ukraine regions today: Vladimir Putin
Moscow/IBNS: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday said he would decide by the end of the day whether to recognise two rebel regions of Ukraine as independent, media reports said.
Presiding over a long meeting of his powerful Security Council, Putin listened to senior officials stating that it was time for Russia to recognise the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Lugansk as independent ones.
"I have heard your opinions. The decision will be taken today," the Russian leader said after the meeting, which aired on state television.
Negotiations on finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine have hit a dead end, Putin said.
"As for the negotiation process, [Kremlin Deputy Chief of Staff Dmitry] Kozak has already said that we are in a deadlock. It's simply a deadlock - we've been negotiating for eight years - and that's the issue," Putin said during the extraordinary meeting of the Russian Security Council.
Earlier on Monday, the rebel leaders of separatist Donetsk and Lugansk territories had appealed to Putin to recognise them as independent.
The Russian parliament has also asked Putin to recognise the pro-Moscow separatist territories, which declared themselves independent of Kiev's rule after Ukraine's 2014 pro-EU revolution.
The West accuses Russia of preparing to attack Ukraine after surrounding it with more than 150,000 troops. Russia has denied planning an invasion.
[With UNI inputs]
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