Russia sought peace settlement to Ukrainian crisis, but was conned, says Putin
Speaking at a meeting with WWII veterans in Saint Petersburg, the President noted that Russia could not help but respond to the events that have been taking place in Ukraine since 2014
ST. PETERSBURG, January 18. /TASS/. Russia did everything possible to resolve the situation regarding Donbass with the use of peaceful tools, but it turned out to be impossible due to our partners’ betrayal, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.
Speaking at a meeting with WWII veterans in Saint Petersburg, Putin noted that Russia could not help but respond to the events that have been taking place in Ukraine since 2014, including the extermination of the Russian-speaking population.
"We have been tolerant for a long time, trying to negotiate. As it turned out now, we were simply misled and conned… However, we did everything possible to settle this situation in a peaceful way. It is obvious now that it was impossible," Putin stressed.
Russia’s special military operation
On February 21, 2022, President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow was recognizing the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics DPR and LPR respectively). Russia signed agreements on friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance with their leaders. Moscow recognized the Donbass republics in accordance with the DPR and LPR constitutions within the boundaries of the Donetsk and Lugansk Regions as of the beginning of 2014.
Russian President Putin announced on February 24, 2022 that in response to a request by the heads of the Donbass republics for assistance, he had decided to carry out a special military operation in Ukraine. The DPR and the LPR launched an operation to liberate their territories under Kiev’s control.
From September 23 to September 27, 2022, the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic as well as the Kherson Region and the Zaporozhye Region held a referendum where the majority of voters opted to join Russia.
On September 30, 2022, Russian President Putin and the heads of the DPR, the LPR, and the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions signed treaties on their accession to Russia. Later, the State Duma and the Federation Council (the lower and upper houses of Russia’s parliament) approved legislation on ratifying these treaties, as well as federal constitutional laws on the accession of the four regions to Russia.