Moscow, May 11 (RHC) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday congratulated the residents of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of their founding, the Kremlin website reported.
In the telegram, the President expressed his confidence that peace will return to the land of Donbass and the most difficult problems will be resolved, as the lands enjoy all rights as territories of the Russian Federation.
The Russian President’s message highlights that thanks to the support of the entire state and population, the necessary programs are being implemented, roads and housing are being built and repaired, health and educational centers are being established, in addition to the strengthening of industrial and agricultural production.
Putin noted that during the referendum on May 11, 2014, the residents of Donetsk and Lugansk showed the world their firm determination to defend their right to the mother tongue, culture and free development and their readiness to courageously resist the aggression of the nationalists who seized their lands. Power in Kyiv
On May 11, 2014, a referendum was held in Donbas, where more than 2.5 million people went to the polls, about 75% of potential voters. The vast majority of the population voted for independence.
In 2014, Ukraine’s central government launched an anti-militia operation in the Donbass region, in the east of the country, where the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics were declared after failing to recognize the new authorities resulting from the coup. In Kiev in February of the same year.
Since February 24, 2022, Russia has been carrying out a special military operation in Ukraine, which aims, according to the Russian President, to protect the population from “genocide at the hands of the current authorities in Kiev.”
Likewise, the goal is to address the national security risks of NATO’s eastward push.
Both the Donbass republics, as well as the Kherson and Zaporozhye provinces, joined Russia at the end of September 2022 after holding two self-determination referendums. (R L)
“Award-winning alcohol trailblazer. Hipster-friendly internetaholic. Twitter ninja. Infuriatingly humble beer lover. Pop culture nerd.”