This will increase tensions between the West and Russia amid fears of Russian invasion.
Putin’s action follows days of increased tensions within Ukraine’s eastern industrial center, where Ukrainian forces are trapped in an almost eight-year conflict that has resulted in more than 14,000 deaths.
Here’s a look at the background of the rebel-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine.
Separatist rebellion in East
After Ukraine’s Moscow-friendly president was forced from office in February 2014 by massive protests, Russia responded by annexeing the Crimean Peninsula. The Russian government then supported an insurgency in Donbas, an area of eastern Ukraine that is largely Russian-speaking.
Russia-backed rebels took control of government buildings in Donetsk, Luhansk, declared the creation “people’s republics”, and fought Ukrainian troops and volunteers.
The separatist regions held a popular referendum the following month to declare their independence and to try to join Russia. Moscow refused to accept the motion but used the region as a tool for keeping Ukraine in its orbit and preventing it from joining NATO.
The West and Ukraine accused Russia of supporting rebels with weapons and troops. Moscow denied this, claiming that any Russians who participated in the fighting were volunteers.
Malaysia Airlines Flight17 was destroyed over eastern Ukraine, after fierce battles that involved tanks, heavy artillery, and warplanes. All 298 passengers were killed. A probe by the international community concluded that the missile supplied by Russia to the rebel-controlled territory of Ukraine caused the downing of the passenger jet. Moscow denied any involvement.
Struggles to reach cease-fire agreements
Following a huge defeat of Ukrainian troops in august 2014, envoys of Kyiv, rebels and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe signed an agreement in Minsk, Belarus, in September 2014.
This document envisaged an OSCE-observed ceasefire, a pullback by all foreign fighters. It also included an exchange of hostages and prisoners. The document also promised an amnesty to rebels.
The agreement collapsed quickly and large-scale fighting resumed. This led to another major defeat of Ukrainian forces at Debaltseve between January-February 2015.
France and Germany brokered a second peace agreement. It was signed in Minsk by representatives from Russia, Ukraine and rebels in February 2015. The agreement envisaged a new ceasefire, the withdrawal of heavy weapons and a series moves towards a political solution. The leaders of Russia and Ukraine signed a declaration supporting the agreement.
The frozen conflict in eastern Ukraine
The 2015 peace agreement was a significant diplomatic coup for Russia. It obliged Ukraine to give special status to separatist regions. This allowed them to establish their own police force, and to have the right to appoint local judges and prosecutors. It was also stipulated that Ukraine would not regain control of the approximately 125-mile border with Russia within rebel regions until they have self-rule and hold OSCE monitored local elections. This would almost certainly keep proMoscow rebels at power.
It is seen by many Ukrainians as a violation of national interests, and its implementation has been stalled.
Although the Minsk document was able to end large-scale fighting, the situation remains tense and frequent skirmishes continue.
Moscow’s attempt to influence Ukraine’s political landscapes through rebel areas has been thwarted by the Minsk agreement. The frozen conflict has effectively stopped Kyiv from achieving its goal to join NATO, which is enshrined by the Ukrainian constitution.
Moscow has also worked to protect its control over rebel areas by distributing more than 720,000 Russian passports, roughly one-fifth their population of around 3.6 million. Although it has provided financial and economic assistance to separatist territories, the aid was not sufficient to mitigate the huge damage caused by fighting or to strengthen the economy. Before the conflict, Ukraine’s GDP was approximately 16% in the Donbas region.
France and Germany redoubled efforts to encourage compliance to the 2015 agreement amid rising tensions about the Russian troop concentration in Ukraine. This was in the hope that it would help ease the current standoff.
Faced with demands from Paris and Berlin for its implementation, Ukrainian officials have reaffirmed their criticisms of the Minsk agreement and warned it could lead the country to its demise. There have been no results from two rounds of talks between the presidential envoys for Russia, Ukraine and France in Berlin and Paris.
In the meantime, the Russian lower house urged Putin to recognize Ukraine’s independence last week.
Putin recognizes independence of rebel regions
Putin’s recognition that rebel-held territories are independent effectively disintegrates the Minsk peace accords and will fuel tensions between the West and Russia.
After several days of shelling along the Luhansk-Donetsk line of contact, this move was made. The West and Ukraine accused Moscow of inciting tensions to provide a pretext to an invasion. Russia accused Ukraine, on its part, of trying to reclaim rebel-held territories using force. Kyiv strongly denied this claim.
Separatist leaders issued video statements on Friday announcing the evacuation for civilians facing what they called an “aggression” from Ukraine. Data embedded in the video showed that the separatist leaders had made video statements announcing the evacuation of civilians to face what they called an “aggression” from Ukraine. This suggests that the videos were recorded two days prior to the current situation, which would suggest a deliberate plan for trying to seperate the regions.
Monday’s video statement by rebel leaders urged Putin to recognize their independence. Putin quickly responded with a carefully orchestrated meeting and then a televised signing of the recognition decrees.