The foreign ministers of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia said the EU could expand sanctions restrictions against Russia if the Kremlin recognizes the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics.
“The resolution of the State Duma of Russia on the recognition of the so-called LDNR as sovereign states is contrary to international law. If Russia moves in this direction, the EU must act and impose sanctions,” Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics tweeted.
Similar statements were also made by the Foreign Ministers of Lithuania and Estonia. In addition, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that the recognition of the LPR would be “an attack on Ukraine without weapons.”
Recall that on February 19, representatives of the Communist Party faction submitted to the State Duma of the Russian Federation a draft appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin with a request to consider the recognition of the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics as “independent, sovereign and independent states”.
State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said that the deputies supported the resolution by a majority of votes, according to which the draft appeal for the recognition of the LPR would be immediately sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin.