Illustration copyright Sergei Konkov/TASS Image caption Russia has recognized the documents of the self-proclaimed republics, but this is unlikely to make life much easier for their owners
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the recognition of documents issued in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk “people's republics”. The BBC Russian service looked into what would change after this decision for the residents of Donbass.
The decree, published on the Kremlin website on Saturday, April 18, twice emphasizes that although Russia recognizes the documents of the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR, it continues to consider these territories “separate regions of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine.” The text notes that the measures Moscow has taken are temporary and are being introduced until a “political settlement” is reached in eastern Ukraine.
Recognition of documents is necessary in accordance with the norms of international and humanitarian law and is carried out to protect “the rights and freedoms of man and citizen,” Putin’s decree says.
What documents of the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR has Russia recognized?
- identity documents issued by the “actually operating” bodies of the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR
- documents on education, qualifications
- vehicle registration certificates (VTC) and their numbers
- birth, name change, marriage, divorce and death certificates
How many people have documents from self-proclaimed republics?
The issuance of passports from the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" began less than a year ago - in March 2016. According to the migration service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the DPR, by January 2017, 40 thousand passports had been issued; Another 45 thousand applications were received. The self-proclaimed LPR issued 10 thousand passports in 2015-2016, the local migration service reported.
As reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the DPR, the following can apply for passports of the DPR and LPR:
- citizens of Ukraine who lived on the territory of the self-proclaimed republic at the time of declaration of independence
- citizens of Russia and other countries serving in the DPR and LPR
- persons who have “special merits” to the self-proclaimed republics
Those who have not received a DPR or LPR passport must still register cars, register marriages and the birth of children in the “actually operating bodies” of the self-proclaimed republics.
What will change for passport holders of the self-proclaimed republics?
Before the adoption of Putin’s decree, holders of DPR and LPR passports were in an uncertain position if they intended to leave the borders of the self-proclaimed republics.
In early February, the RBC publication wrote that holders of passports of the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR can de facto freely enter Russia, buy a train ticket, fly domestic flights, and also book hotels.
“They sold tickets, car license plates were recognized, loans, mortgages, patents [for work] were not given,” Anna Sidorova, administrator of the “Donbass in Moscow. IDPs, Refugees” community, described the previous situation for holders of passports of the self-proclaimed republics.
At the same time, other community users complained that “they were sent to Moscow with such documents” and in general they “raised more questions than answers.”
As State Duma deputy from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Sergei Shargunov told the BBC Russian Service, before Putin’s decree, nothing prevented when presenting “Donbass” documents from saying: “This is a piece of paper, go home.” Shargunov himself proposes to issue Russian passports to residents of Donbass, as happened in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
What will change for owners of cars and driver's licenses of the DPR and LPR?
Drivers will be able to safely present their DPR and LPR car licenses to Russian state traffic inspectors.
A BBC Russian service source in the Moscow traffic police said that before the documents were recognized, there were “no special instructions” regarding cars with license plates of the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR.
As follows from public messages
Now citizens of the LPR and DPR will become citizens at the same time Russian Federation. This decision carries not only many opportunities, but also risks - both for the unrecognized republics and for Russia itself
On April 24, Putin signed a law on simplified issuance of passports for citizens of the LPR and DPR. The president's decision marked the crossing of the point of no return in Russian-Ukrainian relations. Many are happy about this - the decree caused real jubilation both among the residents of the self-proclaimed republics and in the patriotic part of Russian society. At the same time, they cannot or do not want to see that the decision also carries a whole range of risks. At a minimum, we need to talk about them openly. Understanding that recognizing risks is the first step towards eliminating them.
Now residents of the republics can present minimal amount documents (including passports of citizens of the DPR and LPR), and their application for citizenship must be considered no later than three months from the date of submission. In fact, we are talking about the fact that all three-plus million people living in the territories separated from Ukraine can become citizens of the Russian Federation.
Presidential aide Vladislav Surkov called the president’s decision “reasonable and fair” and Russia’s duty “to Russian-speaking and thinking people who now find themselves in a very difficult situation due to the repressive actions of the Kyiv regime.” According to him, “Ukraine refuses to recognize them as its citizens, imposing an economic blockade, not allowing them to participate in elections, and using military force against them.” And, as President Putin himself explains, “tolerating a situation in which people living on the territory of the Donetsk and Lugansk republics are generally deprived of any civil rights is already crossing the line from the point of view of human rights.” From an ethical point of view, the decision is certainly fair. He was fully supported by the residents of the republics themselves (who have been asking for it for four years now), as well as by most of the Russian public, who favor continued support for the LPR and DPR. However, despite this, it must be admitted that Putin’s morally correct move can also have serious negative consequences. Both for the republics and for Russia itself. In terms of diplomatic opportunities, security, maintaining law and order and prospects for economic development.
Punishment is out of place
If we talk about diplomacy, then, of course, Putin’s decision can be regarded as a kind of instrument of pressure on the new Ukrainian government. The Kremlin is showing that it is no longer going to tolerate Kiev ignoring the Minsk agreements and that in the absence of progress, Russia will follow a parallel track. Refusing, in fact, to comply with the most important principle of Minsk - the future return of the DPR and LPR to the jurisdiction of Ukraine. The region, populated by more than three million citizens of the Russian Federation, will now, of course, not be there. You can talk as much as you like about the fact that “Minsk” is already dead and Ukraine killed it with its actions and laws. But until today, Moscow considered the Minsk agreements to be the only political instrument for resolving the situation in Ukraine - and it turns out that now Russia is burying it too. Just to demonstrate to Kyiv their rejection of the Ukrainian political line.
Yes, the demonstration is certainly important and necessary, but it should have been organized earlier. Now, after the new Ukrainian president has come to power, who has already made it clear that he is ready to move away from Poroshenko’s hard line, Putin’s move is perceived almost as an ultimatum and proof that Moscow is not ready to conduct a civilized dialogue with Vladimir Zelensky. At least, this is how Poroshenko’s supporters position the Kremlin’s decision. “This is an attempt at creeping legitimation of pseudo-republics by the Kremlin,” said Vice Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Irina Gerashchenko. “We warned: he is waiting for the weakening of the Ukrainian government. He always takes advantage of moments of uncertainty and transition to plunge another knife into Ukraine’s back.” Perhaps it was necessary to first give Vladimir Zelensky the opportunity to prove that under him, Ukraine’s policy towards the DPR and LPR will not change, and then make a decision on passportization? Or, if time is pressing (and for the residents of Donetsk and Lugansk this is indeed the case), was it necessary to wait for a worthy reason for such a decision? For example, the adoption by the Verkhovna Rada of a Russophobic and discriminatory language law, which Poroshenko has already promised to sign.
Photo: President of RussiaDon't touch ours!
In terms of security, passporting gives residents of the LPR and DPR guarantees that in the event of aggression from the Ukrainian army, Russia will come to their aid. Yes, until recently there were doubts about this: last years Rumors were spread in the Russian expert community that the Kremlin was ready to hand over the LPR and DPR, which had become a burden, to the Kyiv regime. The decision to issue passports makes these rumors irrelevant: Russia will definitely not surrender its citizens and in the event of an attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine it is guaranteed to protect them. As she defended in 2008, on the territory of South Ossetia.
However - we must be fair - even before certification it was obvious to all sane experts that there would be no change. At a minimum, because such capitulation will nullify all Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy achievements during his entire tenure, not to mention the president’s rating within the country, built on a patriotic basis. If the issuance of passports will change anything in terms of security, it will be the situation with daily artillery shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, from which citizens of the LPR and DPR regularly die. By making them Russian citizens, Moscow is sending a signal that further shelling is unacceptable. And guaranteed harsh punishment for their continuation - again, up to a repeat of 2008.
The decision is also justified, but there is a question: is Russia ready to back up its words with deeds? After all, if Zelensky (who has already advocated for a cessation of hostilities) accepts the rules of the game, then everything is fine - the tactics worked. What if he doesn’t accept it? What if, for internal political reasons, he cannot stop the shelling or does not want to do this because of the ultimatum the Kremlin has now given him? If he wants to compete with Putin in toughness, will Moscow be ready to respond harshly to the future deaths of Russian citizens? The question is open.
Court and economics
From the point of view of law and order, the situation is also not so clear. Yes, with all due respect to the national republics, their papers are much less effective in terms of population control than the documents of the Russian Federation. And we are talking not only about passports, but also about other identification documents, proof of ownership, and the like. However, as knowledgeable people say, the late head of the DPR, Alexander Zakharchenko, was still against the issuance of Russian passports. And his argument was, in general, reinforced concrete: if a person with a Russian Federation passport commits an offense on the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic, then how can the authorities of the republic judge and sentence him, including to an exceptional measure of punishment - the death penalty, which Has a moratorium been imposed on Russia? It turns out that a citizen of the Russian Federation is executed in a friendly state, that is, at a minimum, there is a serious basis for conflict situations.
Yes, this situation has its own solutions - however, they all imply an even greater transition of the DPR and LPR into the legal space of the Russian Federation. This means further movement along the path of abandoning the Minsk agreements, which is no longer so much of a humanitarian nature as of a political one.
Finally, in economic terms, the risks are obvious. After receiving Russian passports, a significant part of the citizens of the LPR and DPR will simply leave the republics for the regions of Russia. It’s no secret that life in the republics is very difficult - and not only because of Kyiv’s tough, targeted policy to destabilize the situation in the republics, but also because of the weakness of Moscow’s targeted stabilization policy (through personnel decisions, effective control over the distribution of economic assistance and the fight against corruption).
All of the above disadvantages, of course, do not mean that the decision to issue passports was wrong, stupid and/or short-sighted. It’s just that experts should not succumb to professional-patriotic frenzy (which is now in abundance), but honestly and openly describe all the risks of such a crossing of the point of no return in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. And not only to describe, but also to ensure that Russian society understands these risks and is ready for them. And the authorities must take them into account and act accordingly. And if some risks can no longer be mitigated (for example, the wrong time for announcing the decree on passportization), then others can be completely mitigated. For example, the Kremlin can begin to restore order in the republics where Russian citizens will now live, provide opportunities for economic growth and transform the LPR and DPR into showcases of the “Russian world.” And not the way Moscow does it in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, actually subsidizing the republics, where local elites basically just eat away money, not caring about creating an economy and not wanting to bear responsibility for it, but for real. But the question is: will he want to?
On February 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree “On the recognition in the Russian Federation of documents and registration plates of vehicles issued to citizens of Ukraine and stateless persons permanently residing in the territories of certain regions of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine.”
In addition to passports and license plates, this also applies to a number of other documents - birth and death certificates, marriage or divorce, education and qualifications, and others.
The decree indicates a temporary course of action until the political situation in eastern Ukraine is resolved “within the framework of the Minsk agreements,” but it gives pause to everyone on both sides of the confrontation line in Donbass.
Many people needed documents
Passports of the self-proclaimed republics have been issued in Donetsk and Lugansk for exactly a year, and their appearance was dictated by objective necessity. Tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people are involved in the structures of the republican authorities, army units, police and the Ministry of State Security. And all of them are closed to the territory controlled by Ukraine. This means that they cannot change the photo on their passport, get a new one to replace the lost one, or get a license or license plate number for a car.
In three years, an entire generation of children in the DPR and LPR reached the age of 16 and, for various reasons, could not travel to Ukraine, and some, having not received a passport in time, lost the right to cross entry and exit checkpoints using their birth certificates.
On the territory of the self-proclaimed republics, martial law is de facto in effect: there is a curfew, and you must always have documents with you. Therefore, many people needed documents in Donbass.
Moreover, from the very beginning of the process, both the head of the DPR and the head of the LPR stated that with these documents people would be able to cross the border with the Russian Federation and use a large number of state Russian services.
Since February 2016, gradually, step by step, this is exactly how everything began to happen. Russian border guards began accepting DPR passports at the Uspenka crossing, then cars with DPR license plates began to be allowed through at the border. Since the summer, information has appeared that passports of the self-proclaimed republics began to be accepted by migration services in many constituent entities of the Russian Federation.
With DPR passports, graduates of Donetsk schools went and began to successfully enroll in Russian universities, especially where budget places were allocated for them in the “adjacent” territories - Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Kursk.
Eventually, passports from the self-proclaimed republics began to be accepted when purchasing plane and train tickets.
Each such fact was greeted with enthusiasm and covered by the local press in Donetsk and Lugansk as visible practical steps by Russia towards official recognition of the DPR and LPR.
The same process took place through the ministries of justice of the self-proclaimed republics, which, after disconnecting these territories from all Ukrainian electronic registers in January 2015, were able to build their own notary office, a system of civil registry offices, and death and birth registration registers. Death certificates from Donetsk began to be accepted in Russia in cases related to inheritance in 2015.
On the path of recognition
As of February 18, 2017, no additional steps were necessary for the smooth circulation of documents and numbers of the DPR and LPR. Everyone has become convinced of the effectiveness of the new documents, and people in Donetsk are lining up for them months in advance. Since February 2016, DPR passports in Donetsk, for example, have been issued only about 40 thousand (the population of the DPR, according to the local statistics department, is 2.3 million people). The problem was not even in the document forms, but in the small number of special printers that enter information into passports.
That is why such euphoria now reigns in the official circles of Donetsk and Lugansk. The decree of the Russian President was perceived here as a symbol, as the first step towards the entry of the self-proclaimed republics into the Russian Federation.
“All citizens of the Russian Federation, officials, police, border guards, etc. are obliged to comply with the decree of the President of Russia. That is, in fact, we are already citizens of Russia!” — Gazeta.Ru’s source in the Council of Ministers of the DPR succinctly commented on today’s news.
This unambiguous opinion is not dominant. Close to the former head of the DPR Security Council, authoritative blogger in Donetsk Ramil Zamdykhanov believes that there is more pressure on Ukraine to force the Donbass to accept than its inclusion in some form into Russia.
“I see that someone (I don’t know who) created serious internal problems for Ukraine with the same blockade,” Ramil Zamdykhanov explained to Gazeta.Ru. — And at the same time, the LDPR and Russia began to press simultaneously. The first ones troll with the “Program of Humanitarian Assistance to Donbass,” and the Russian Federation supports it with such decrees. The goal is to force agreement on some kind of “sovereign Donbass” within Ukraine.”
In Kyiv, the decree was received without enthusiasm, as a sign of an impending sharp deterioration in the situation around the combat zone in the east of the country. “First of all, take this as a demonstration that Russia is not going to negotiate with anyone,” a source told Gazeta.Ru and refused to go deeper into the topic.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who is currently in Munich for a security conference, has already responded to Vladimir Putin’s decree.
“For me, this is further evidence of both the ‘Russian occupation’ and Russian violation of international law,” he said.
The Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine went even further and stated that he regards this decision as a way out of the Minsk process. “Such a step by the Kremlin completely negates the Minsk process and amounts to Russia’s statement about withdrawing from it,” says the text of the message published on the National Security and Defense Council website.
The Ukrainian expert community also believes that Moscow’s actions are unfriendly towards the current government in Ukraine. “I think that this, firstly, in a global sense, is the end of the never-begun detente in relations between the West and Russia,” Ukrainian political scientist Konstantin Batozsky explained his vision of the situation to Gazeta.Ru. “Secondly, this is a sign that the Kremlin will move further along the Ossetian and Abkhaz scenarios. That is, further there will be recognition of the independence of these entities and the legalization of the Russian military presence in these territories.”
Interestingly, Russian sources do not rule out a similar scenario.
“Such a development of events as the subsequent possible recognition of the Donbass republics cannot be ruled out,” the director expressed his point of view. “But in this particular case, we are talking about the fact that Russia could not help but respond to Ukraine’s constant violations of the rights of people living in Donbass, who for three years have not been able to live a normal civil and political life due to the fact that Ukraine is constantly organizing an economic and political blockade of Donbass.”
From the point of view of the interlocutor of Gazeta.Ru, the decree of the Russian president is a serious signal for Ukraine that if it does not comply with the Minsk agreements and blocks the process of political settlement, then Russia can go further in the matter of increasing the level of interaction with the Donbass republics and in may eventually recognize them.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the recognition of documents issued in the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics.
“In order to protect the rights and freedoms of man and citizen, guided by the generally recognized principles and norms of international humanitarian law, I decree:1. Establish that temporarily, for the period until a political settlement of the situation in certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine on the basis of the Minsk agreements:
a) in the Russian Federation, identity documents, documents on education and (or) qualifications, birth certificates, marriage (divorce), change of name, death, vehicle registration certificates, vehicle registration plates issued by relevant bodies (organizations) actually operating in the territories of these areas, citizens of Ukraine and stateless persons permanently residing in these territories;
b) citizens of Ukraine and stateless persons permanently residing in the territories of certain regions of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine can enter and exit the Russian Federation without issuing visas on the basis of identity documents (minor children under the age of 16 years - on the basis of a birth certificate) issued by the relevant authorities actually operating in the territories of these areas.
2. The Government of the Russian Federation take the necessary measures to implement this Decree.
3. This Decree comes into force from the date of its signing."
kremlin.ru
At the beginning of February, the Russian Federation formally recognized the passports of the DPR and LPR - with them you can cross the Russian border, fly domestic flights, use the services of Russian Railways, hotels, and so on.
Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the RBC publication, explained that “this is not the official recognition of passports, we are talking about individual decisions that could be made by municipal, local authorities, as well as various companies, based solely on humanitarian considerations, guided by the need to truly humanitarian assistance to these people who live in the Donbass regions."
LPR passports began to be issued in mid-2015, and DPR passports in March 2016.
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko: “For me, this is yet another proof of both Russian occupation and Russian violation of international law.”
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine Alexander Turchynov: “Such a step by the Kremlin completely negates the Minsk process and is equal to Russia’s statement regarding withdrawal from it.”
Head of the DPR Alexander Zakharchenko: “The decree of the President of Russia on the recognition of documents issued by the Donetsk People’s Republic is another evidence that Russia has supported and will support the right of its compatriots to fight for their lives, their culture, their language and, in the end, for our honor and dignity. If the Motherland loudly and boldly supports our struggle, then our struggle is fair. This means that our hopes are justified. Therefore, I want to once again express my gratitude and gratitude to Russia, the Russian people and their president. , and at the same time I want to bow deeply to my fellow countrymen for their courage, perseverance, hard work and patriotism."
DPR Plenipotentiary Denis Pushilin: “We are very grateful to Russia for this step. Ukraine has done everything to deprive the residents of Donbass of as many rights as possible. This concerns freedom of movement, the issuance of new documents, including passports, and the extension of existing ones, education , and other rights. Thus, in Ukraine, educational documents issued to our children are no longer recognized, teachers of Donbass universities are deprived of scientific degrees and titles in Ukraine. Therefore, we were forced to issue our documents - the Donetsk People's Republic."
Head of the LPR Igor Plotnitsky: “This is further proof that the republic has succeeded as a state. Today has brought the republic one step closer to global recognition of our sovereignty. Vladimir Putin’s decision is a vivid illustration of who exactly is a fraternal people for us. We believe that our future is inextricably linked with Russia, we are an integral part of the Russian world and the signing of this document is confirmation of this. For 3 years, the residents of Donbass are tired of the horrors of war, of continuous shelling that brings blood, pain, loss and destruction, but the Ukrainian side is not enough. “In addition to not taking any steps towards reconciliation with Lugansk and Donetsk, he is also trying in every possible way to complicate life for the population of the republics.”
February 20, 14:55 The State Border Committee of Belarus stated that it will not be possible to enter the territory of the republic with DPR or LPR passports.
We comply with applicable laws. If persons crossing the state border do not have documents giving them the right to do so, we cannot let them through,” explained (representative of the Civil Procedure Code) Anton Bychkovsky.He noted that if such persons are identified while traveling, they will be held accountable in accordance with current legislation, for example, for violating the rules of stay of foreign citizens and transit travel through Belarus. “Residents of Donbass can enter the territory of Belarus using Ukrainian passports,” he added.
TUT.BY
February 20, 15:56 German Foreign Ministry: “The decree signed by President Putin on the recognition by Russia of documents issued to the DPR and LPR, from our point of view, clearly contradicts the spirit and goals of the Minsk agreements. For us, full support for the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as the full implementation of the Minsk agreements, is undeniable. We evaluate the Russian side's step as being contrary to Minsk.
French Foreign Ministry: “France has taken note of the decree of the Russian President on the recognition of official documents issued by the de facto authorities of certain areas in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. France regrets this decision, which is not in the spirit of the Minsk agreements. France calls on the Russian authorities to concentrate their efforts and use our influence on the separatist leaders to ensure that the Minsk agreements are implemented without delay. This is the only way to peacefully and sustainably resolve the crisis in eastern Ukraine."
“This decree in no way contradicts international law and does not lead to violations of international law. You know that this, in fact, de jure equalizes the situation and what was de facto just recognition. Because for humanitarian reasons it is necessary do," Peskov told reporters.He explained that this situation arose due to the blockade of the DPR and LPR by official Kiev, as a result of which hundreds of people are not able to obtain passports, renew them, and so on. “In this situation, solely guided by humanitarian considerations, the Russian President signed such a decree,” Peskov added.
“Naturally, I would not like to comment in any way on the statement of the US Embassy in Ukraine. This is not our interlocutor,” Peskov responded to journalists’ request to comment on the statement of representatives of the American diplomatic mission in Kyiv that the Russian President’s decree causes concern.
Answering the question about whether Russia equates a DPR passport with a Ukrainian one, Peskov explained that we are talking about actually issued documents that Russia recognizes for humanitarian reasons.
“The whole region is under conditions of a severe blockade, a severe embargo from its capital, from Kyiv. Under the conditions of this embargo and blockade, people do not have the opportunity to update, correct, receive, restore lost documents. In fact, they are issued documents in this region. Actually issued documents, based on their humanitarian considerations, will be recognized here,” Peskov said.
RIA News"
February 20, 17:11 United Russia stated that having a DPR or LPR passport does not make a person a citizen of a foreign state, because none of the self-proclaimed Donbass republics is a state. “We need to understand the difference between the recognition of individual documents and the international recognition of the state,” Konstantin Mazurevsky, first deputy head of the United Russia Central Election Commission, told reporters. This is how he commented on the presence of a DPR passport in State Duma deputy Joseph Kobzon. According to the law, a deputy cannot have two citizenships at the same time.
In Russia, documents from the self-proclaimed republics of Donbass. RBC understood the reactions of the parties and possible consequences this decision.
Legalization of passports
On Saturday, February 18, the Kremlin website published a decree of President Vladimir Putin on the temporary recognition in Russia of documents issued to citizens of Ukraine and stateless persons in certain areas in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. This rule will remain in effect until the conflict in these regions of Ukraine is resolved.
Now in Russia not only the documents of such citizens are recognized, but also vehicle registration plates, the decree says. These measures are explained by the “protection of human and civil rights and freedoms”; when taking them, the head of state was guided by “the principles and norms of international humanitarian law.”
The first paragraph of the decree contains a list of documents legalized in Russia: identity cards, education diplomas, documents on birth and confirmation of professional qualifications, papers on marriage and divorce, death certificates. All these documents can be issued by “the relevant authorities actually operating in the territories of these areas,” that is, in fact, by the structures of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics.
In addition, the text of the decree states, citizens of Ukraine and stateless persons can enter and leave Russia using these documents without issuing visas.
The Russian government has been instructed to take the necessary measures to implement this decree. The measures are in effect “temporarily, for the period until a political settlement of the situation in certain areas of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine on the basis of the Minsk agreements.”
At the beginning of February, an RBC investigation was published about the secret recognition of DPR and LPR passports in Russia. After this, the press secretary of the head of state, Dmitry Peskov, emphasized that this is “not about the official recognition of passports,” but “about individual decisions that could be made by municipal, local authorities, as well as various companies, based solely on humanitarian considerations.”
"Normandy Format"
Putin’s decree was issued on the day of negotiations in the “Normandy format” in Munich at the level of foreign ministers of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany. The first meeting of the Normandy Four foreign ministers since November last year lasted about an hour. The ministers supported the agreements of the contact group on Ukraine on the start of a truce on February 20, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
The Russian and Ukrainian ministers expressed their commitment to a plan aimed at reducing tensions in eastern Ukraine and agreed to continue political negotiations, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said following the meeting. According to him, without a truce and the withdrawal of heavy weapons, the political process will not move forward. The ministers agreed to meet in a few weeks.
Before the meeting, Lavrov spoke at the Munich conference, where he stated that restoring Kyiv’s control over the border with Russia is possible only after the implementation of the Minsk agreements. Kiev previously stated that control of the border (part of it is controlled by militias) should be transferred to the Ukrainian border service before elections are held in “certain areas of Donbass.”
Sudden decision
The State Duma called Putin’s decision “an important evidence of Russia’s support for the DPR and LPR.” As stated by a member of the parliamentary committee on international affairs Sergey Zheleznyak(United Russia faction), this should become “a serious confirmation for the reasonable part of the Ukrainian and international community of the futility of attempts to resolve the conflict in Donbass by force” (quote from the party’s website).
According to an RBC source close to Russian diplomatic circles, “this decision is simply a legal formalization of what already happened.” “There is no talk of further steps to recognize the DPR and LPR,” he emphasized.
“In fact [in Russia] everyone turned a blind eye to documents and license plates [of the DPR and LPR],” a former chief of staff of the DPR Ministry of Defense confirmed to RBC Eldar Khasanov.
The issue of recognition of documents of the DPR and LPR was not discussed at any negotiations, emphasized an RBC source close to diplomatic circles. In his opinion, the decision was made in the Kremlin, without any consultation.
Lavrov also confirmed that the issue of recognizing documents was not raised at the Normandy Four meeting. “No, the question was not raised. I don’t think that anyone sees any change in this position (Russia towards the Donbass republics - editor’s note),” TASS quoted the foreign minister as saying.
This is a logical step by the Russian president in the context of Ukraine’s continuation of the “policy of genocide towards the residents of the DPR and LPR,” the political scientist told RBC Alexey Chesnakov, close to Russian Presidential aide Vladislav Surkov. According to him, constant shelling of the DPR and LPR by the Ukrainian army, the economic and humanitarian blockade of the republics, Kyiv’s actual refusal to implement the political points of the Minsk agreements and the “aggressive rhetoric” of Ukrainian officials towards the residents of Donetsk and Lugansk led to today’s decree by Putin.
“If the Ukrainian side does not stop pursuing its previous irresponsible policy and does not implement the Minsk agreements, Russia will take further steps towards the DPR and LPR. Not excluding their recognition,” Chesnakov predicts.
The heads of the LPR and DPR promptly requested the recognition of passports. “Today has brought the republic one step closer to global recognition of our sovereignty,” says LPR leader Igor Plotnitsky. “If the Motherland loudly and boldly supports our struggle, then our struggle is fair. This means that our sacrifices are not in vain,” DPR head Alexander Zakharchenko told RIA Novosti.
"Shocking effect"
Russia's decision is a violation of international law, said Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. “For me, this is further proof of both Russian occupation and Russian violation of international law,” the Ukrainian president said following negotiations with US Vice President Mike Pence in Munich.
The Russian decree refutes Peskov’s February 3 statement that Russia does not officially recognize the passports of the DPR and LPR, Interfax-Ukraine reported, citing Irina Friz, deputy of the Rada and former press secretary of the Ukrainian president. “Such a step is evidence that social tension in the occupied territories is growing along with dissatisfaction with Russian policy, and the Kremlin is throwing a bone to reassure the population of the occupied territories,” the people’s deputy said.
The Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine said the same thing Alexander Turchinov. Vladimir Putin “legally recognized quasi-state terrorist groups,” which, “like a fig leaf,” covered up “Russia’s occupation of part of Donbass,” Turchinov was quoted by his press service.
The information had a “shocking effect” in Kyiv, a source close to one of the leaders of the Verkhovna Rada factions told RBC. “This is definitely not a step towards peace,” he said, adding that this could lead to a serious escalation of the situation.
Putin’s decree is “de facto recognition of two separatist republics,” says a Ukrainian political scientist Vladimir Fesenko. As the political scientist noted in a commentary to RBC, “this is unlikely to lead to a military escalation, but this, of course, makes the implementation of the political part of the Minsk agreements virtually impossible.” The expert emphasized that Ukraine will never recognize this decree of Putin, which will further complicate the already virtually stalled Minsk negotiations.
Risks of sanctions
The DPR and LPR have not received recognition from UN member states. Ukraine recognized these entities as “terrorist”. According to US Presidential Decree No. 13,660 of March 6, 2014, sanctions and freezing of assets of individuals and legal entities threaten those responsible for “undermining democratic processes and institutions in Ukraine, as well as for threatening its peace, security, sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
As a lawyer from the Washington law firm Bryan Cave LLP previously told RBC Cliff Burns, specializing in sanctions issues, the recognition of DPR and LPR passports could be considered to undermine the sovereignty of Ukraine and serve as the basis for sanctions against Russian officials and airlines that accept these documents. Although under the new US President Donald Trump, it is more likely that no new sanctions will be introduced against Russia, Burns clarified.
“The European Union will view this decision by Putin as a step to escalate the conflict, but the Russian side has quite a lot of opportunities and time to prove that it was needed and was made for humanitarian reasons,” the scientific director of the German-Russian Forum told RBC Alexander Rahr. According to him, the humanitarian aspect of this decision can prevent the introduction of new sanctions against Russia.
It is precisely humanitarian considerations that explain the goals of the decree on the president’s website. And a source in the executive branch previously commented on the same considerations for the RBC investigation into the informal recognition of passports.
Any unilateral decision in the conflict can lead to escalation, even if there are rational arguments in favor of such a decision, the head of the foreign policy direction of the Center for Strategic Research said in a commentary for RBC Sergey Utkin. There is a risk not only of aggravation in the conflict zone, but also, for example, of Ukraine introducing a visa regime with Russia, the expert warns.
“Much will depend on how the parties read the document: it states that the measure is temporary and contains an indication of commitment to the Minsk agreements,” Utkin believes.
The Kremlin's decree may be a response to Washington regarding the need to return Crimea to Ukraine, the political scientist suggested Nikolay Mironov. In his opinion, Russia shows that it is ready to integrate with the DPR and LPR, right up to the recognition of the republics. “At the same time, we are ready to negotiate, which is why the Kremlin, through Peskov, reprimanded [DPR head Alexander] Zakharchenko, who made harsh statements [about his readiness to “reach Kyiv.”]. Moscow still “believes” in Trump, but is ready for more tough steps are the essence of the decree,” says the political scientist.
Expert of the Moscow Law Academy Paul Kalinichenko clarifies that Russia’s recognition of DPR and LPR passports is associated with the elimination of statelessness, which means it should not entail sanctions. “To remember analogies, you need to think hard, because Russia basically issues its passports to citizens of Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” Kalinichenko said.
Based on the experience of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
On April 16, 2008, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave instructions to the government regarding the settlement of relations with Abkhazia and South Ossetia. One of the measures taken was the recognition of documents that were issued individuals actual authorities of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The list also included passports issued by the authorities of the then unrecognized republics to their citizens.
The decision, as in the case of the DPR and LPR passports, was explained by humanitarian considerations. “During the years of protracted conflicts, the residents of these unrecognized republics found themselves in dire straits. They were actually deprived of the opportunity to realize the universal rights to a decent life and sustainable development,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“The recognition of passports, in essence, should mean recognition of our republic by Russia. Let’s not rush things, but we hoped for such a consistent, progressive movement towards this goal,” commented Russia’s decision on April 16, 2008, Abkhaz Foreign Minister Sergei Shamba.
Russia recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in August 2008 after the military conflict in South Ossetia.
With the participation of Sergei Vitko.