“Recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics is a forced and the only possible solution under these conditions.
It is intended to serve as a guarantee for the residents of the DPR and LPR of their right to a peaceful life, the protection of their legitimate rights and interests,” the statement says.
The Foreign Ministry added that the inhabitants of Donbass faced the threat of direct physical destruction from Kiev.
“It has become quite obvious that for Kiev, Donbass is a territory, and not the people living on it,” the ministry noted.
On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognizing Russia's independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics.