Ukraine lobbies Security Council against Russian move to recognize separatists

Ukraine is lobbying the United Nations Security council to speak out against Russia’s move to recognize regions in Ukraine as independent. 

On Tuesday, the Russian parliament voted to ask President Vladimir Putin to recognize the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent people’s republics. 

In a letter, Ukraine is now asking the Security Council to discuss the Russian measure at its meeting on Thursday, Reuters reported.

The proclamation of the regions as independent would ​​“further aggravated the threats to both Ukraine’s territorial integrity and global security architecture following the ongoing military build-up by the Russian Federation in the vicinity of the borders with Ukraine,” Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya wrote. 

The U.S. has already denounced the bid, warning of consequences if Putin agrees to the measure. 

“Enactment of this resolution would further undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, constitute a gross violation of international law, call into further question Russia’s stated commitment to continue to engage in diplomacy to achieve a peaceful resolution of this crisis,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

The action would “necessitate a swift and firm response from the United States in full coordination with our Allies and partners.”

If the measure is passed, it would go against the Minsk agreements that were supported internationally in 2015 to cease the fighting between Russian-backed separatists and Ukraine’s army. 

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said after the parliament vote that Russia still supports the peace process in the region. 

A declaration of independence for the two regions could give Russia an excuse to invade Ukraine as it already has more than 100,000 troops amassed on Ukraine’s border.