Maltese political figures Roberta Metsola and Bernard Grech have joined the ranks of the West in condemning Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recognition of 2 key separatist regions of eastern Ukraine, marking it ‘illegal’.
Last night Russian troops moved into the two regions of Luhansk and Donetsk under the guise of a ‘peacekeeping operation’.
The two regions broke away from Ukraine in 2014 following a revolution that ousted a pro-Russian leader in a move to strengthen ties with Europe over Russia. The result was an armed insurrection in the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk and the forming of two unrecognised republics within them. Yesterday, however, Vladimir Putin signed a decree which recognised the two breakaway regions as sovereign entities and moved Russian troops into the regions to reinforce his claim.
Meanwhile, leaders across the western hemisphere have called the action illegal including UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson (who has threatened the country with a ‘barrage’ of sanctions) and EU parliamentary President Roberta Metsola who also expressed support for Ukraine and made vocal her desire to move towards sanctioning Russia. Many see Russia’s recognition of the breakaway regions as a direct pretext for a severe conflict. The Maltese opposition leader Bernard Grech also called for an end to the fighting and expressed his desire to see the dispute diplomatically resolved.
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