Russia recognizes the independence of Donetsk and Lugansk within the limits within which the authorities of the self-proclaimed republics exercise their powers. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko stated this.
Spokesman for the Russian President Dmitry Peskov, in his turn, stated that Moscow recognizes the DPR and LPR within the borders within which they have declared their independence. According to Peskov, the West's reaction to the recognition of Donetsk and Lugansk was “expected, predictable.”
