RIA Novosti: One Russia not keen on recognizing Ukraine’s separatist regions

(RIA Novosti – November 5, 2014) The One Russia and A Just Russia factions in the State Duma believe that the LDPR’s initiative to recognize the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics (DPR and LPR) is not relevant at the moment, the Russian RIA Novosti reported on 5 November. Even the Communist Party, although it supports the LDPR’s proposal, wants to hold some consultations first.

The LDPR faction is planning to submit a draft resolution on the recognition of the DPR and LPR, first deputy chairman of the faction Aleksey Didenko said. At the same time he stressed that the document would have no legal consequences.

According to Didenko, the draft resolution will just give an assessment of the elections held in the DPR and LPR on 2 November. “If the resolution gives an assessment, this will be a very serious prerequisite to the recognition of the elections and the Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics as sovereign states,” he added.

The Communist faction is ready to support the resolution on recognition of the DPR and LPR, first deputy chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party Ivan Melnikov said.

According to him, “strategically, the recognition of the DPR and LPR will be a guarantee of safety for the republics of course, as well as a guarantee that Kiev might even start dealing with the problems of Ukrainian citizens”.

However, the faction that holds a majority in the Duma, the One Russia faction, believes that the question of recognition of the DPR and LPR is irrelevant as long as the Minsk agreement on ceasefire in eastern Ukraine is valid.

“I think that if we stay within the paradigm of the Minsk agreement, then there is no issue to discuss. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he is not doubting Ukraine’s territorial integrity yet. And the Minsk agreement was based on the idea that Ukraine would take steps that would help it survive as a single state,” foreign policy expert Vyacheslav Nikonov, MP (One Russia), said.

However, according to Nikonov, if in future the Minsk agreement is ignored or simply rejected, then any scenario is possible, including recognition of the DPR and LPR.

A Just Russia is in favour of establishing relations between the Duma and the parliaments of the DPR and LPR but believes it would be premature to recognize the republics.

“As for full recognition [of the DPR and LPR], I think it would be premature to speak about this because the situation in Ukraine and the republics themselves is unstable. We have to see how the situation will develop,” first deputy chairman of the A Just Russia faction Mikhail Yemelyanov said.