Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Council of Europe calls on Russia to withdraw recognition of two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine

The Secretary-General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejcinovic Buric called on Russia to refrain from escalating the situation around Ukraine, urging Moscow to revoke its recognition of the pro-Russian separatist Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR).

"We call on the Russian Federation to reverse this decision and abstain from further aggravating the situation. We insistently call our member states to solve their disagreement through dialogue based on respect of the principles enshrined in the Statute of the Council of Europe, and in the European Convention on Human Rights," Pejcinovic Buric said in a statement released on Monday.

Earlier today, US State Secretary Antony Blinken said Russia's recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics (DPR and LPR) means a complete rejection of commitments under the Minsk agreements and contradicts Russia's commitment to diplomacy.

"We strongly condemn [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin's decision to recognize the so-called 'Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics' as 'independent.' As we said when the Duma first made its request: this decision represents a complete rejection of Russia's commitments under the Minsk agreements, directly contradicts Russia's claimed commitment to diplomacy, and is a clear attack on Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Blinken said in a State Department statement.

Yesterday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognizing the independence of breakaway regions Donetsk and Luhansk.

Later, The United States and Allies requested an urgent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on the situation in Ukraine.

The recent tensions are a result of Russia's build-up of around 150,000 troops just over the border from the Donbas region in the east, in Belarus to the north and Crimea to the south, which began in the autumn.

(ANI)