UNITED NATIONS, February 17. /TASS/. France, Germany, Ireland, Estonia, Albania and Norway called on Russia to abstain from recognizing the Donbass republics, noting that such a step contradicted the Minsk agreements.

"We warn against such a step, which would constitute a further violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and directly contradict the spirit and the letter of the Minsk agreements," Permanent Representative of France to the UN read out the Joint stakeout by France, Germany, Ireland, Estonia, Albania, Norway and the EU Delegation.

On Tuesday, the State Duma appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin with a request to recognize independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's republics. Putin, commenting on the appeal, said that everything must be done to solve the problems of Donbass, but first of all, one should proceed "from the opportunities for the implementation of the Minsk agreements that haven’t been fully realized." He said the deputies, when making decisions, are guided by the opinion of the Russians, the vast majority of whom sympathize with the residents of Donbass and hope that the situation there will change for the better.