Rada prepares statement on Russia’s possible recognition of “LPR/DPR”

On February 15, the Verkhovna Rada could adopt a statement as regards the Russian State Duma’s draft resolution on the recognition of the self-proclaimed "DPR/LPR."

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, spoke about this at the Right to Power panel show on Sunday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Stakes are being raised. Committee hearings have already taken place in the Russian Duma. Perhaps this issue will be submitted to the Duma within days. Our answer is simple and has not changed. That’s because these territories are Ukrainian ones. In the Verkhovna Rada, we’re preparing a statement. This statement may even be voted in tomorrow,” Stefanchuk said.

According to the Rada Head, "we clearly understand where Ukraine's interest lies, that our path is toward NATO, and that our path to maintaining territorial integrity cannot depend on the whims of our northern neighbor."

At the same time, the head of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, David Arakhamia, suggested that the State Duma would not pass the controversial draft.

"I think it is very unlikely that the State Duma will adopt this resolution ... If they do vote it in, they actually give Ukraine the opportunity to tell all partners that Russia withdrew from the Minsk agreements. Recognition of territories is actually a way out of the Minsk deal. Therefore it seems to me that right now they will not benefit, and they wouldn’t benefit off of this," said Arakhamia.

It should be recalled that a multipartisan group of MPs from registered a draft resolution to appeal to the United Nations, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the PACE, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, foreign governments and parliaments, on non-recognition of the self-proclaimed entities in the temporarily occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Draft resolution No. 7048 was sponsored by 25 people's deputies.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the State Duma of the Russian Federation on February 15 is set to vote on a draft appeal to President Vladimir Putin to recognize independence of the so-called "DPR/LPR."

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