Today, Russian President Vladimir Putin convened a special session of the Security Council to discuss the situation in Donbas and Ukraine. The Russian President stated that if Ukraine joins NATO, the dangers threatening Russia will multiply. He asked Lavrov and Kozak to report on their assessments of the situation in Donbas.
Putin is convinced that the Kyiv’s authorities are not going to fulfill the Minsk agreements, as they have repeatedly stated. The Ukrainian side has twice carried out punitive actions in Donbas, now the tension is escalating for the third time. “Russia, from the beginning, has done everything possible to resolve the conflict in Donbas peacefully,” he said.
As for the recognition of the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, according to Putin, the problem is closely linked to the problems of Europe’s global security, particularly.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the Western countries are trying to create an almost insurmountable confrontation between Russia and the North Atlantic Alliance.
In recent months, relations between Russia and the West have become even more tense. Washington and Brussels accuse Moscow of preparing for an "invasion" of Ukraine, against this background, they are strengthening their presence in Eastern Europe. Moscow denies all allegations, reminding that Kyiv does not fulfill the Minsk agreements.