The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that Putin’s order is a hybrid provocation.Photo: REUTERS

President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin instructed to provide residents of the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions with social benefits. Only those who have a Russian passport will receive money.

This was reported on the Kremlin website .

Putin instructed to consider the issue of providing citizens of the Russian Federation in the occupied Donbas with the opportunity to apply for social benefits and benefits without registering in Russia. It is planned that applications will be submitted through a single portal of state and municipal services of the Russian Federation.

In turn, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that Putin’s order is a hybrid provocation. At the same time, it is indicated that with such methods, Moscow forcibly integrates the population of the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.

“We demand that the Russian Federation cancel the decision, stop such hybrid provocations and refrain from steps complicating the diplomatic process, primarily in the work of the Normandy format and the Trilateral Contact Group,” the message says.

Earlier, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, headed by Gennady Zyuganov, prepared an appeal to Vladimir Putin, urging him  to recognize the “independence” of certain regions of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions .

At the same time, Konstantin Zatulin, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, expressed doubt that the Russian Federation would be able to recognize the “LDNR”.

The Kremlin at first stated that they had not seen the draft document, but soon added that they would not comment on it until the State Duma made a decision.

On January 21, it became known that the State Duma  gave the green light to the procedure for recognizing the “LDNR” . Next week, the Russian Federation will discuss the initiative of the Communists to recognize the occupied areas of Donbass – the so-called “DNR” and “LNR”.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has already reacted to the registration in the State Duma of a project to recognize the “LDNR” as independent. 

“According to the analysis of the information that we now have, this initiative was introduced specifically as part of the loosening. So far, we do not see any intention to quickly make this decision and recognize the “DNR” and “LNR” in Russia. This is part of a big game to loosen the situation “, – said Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov explained Moscow’s refusal to recognize the “Donetsk People’s Republic” and “Luhansk People’s Republic” by referring to the Minsk agreements.

At the same time, Putin’s party proposed to officially supply weapons to the LDNR militants.

(C)UNIAN 2022