Lavrov: West encouraged Kiev to resolve Donbass issue by force

MOSCOW, Oct.4,(ST)- The Federation Council (the upper house of parliament) unanimously approved four federal constitutional laws on accepting the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR, LPR), as well as the Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions, into Russia at a plenary meeting on Tuesday.

According to the laws, the residents of the new constituent entities are recognized as Russian citizens starting on September 30, the day the regions joined Russia, but they have a month to reject Russian citizenship. The documents specify that the residents of the new regions can acquire Russian citizenship by submitting applications and being sworn in as Russian citizens.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a plenary session of the Federation Council (the upper house of parliament) on Tuesday that the West dubiously encouraged Ukrainian radicals to pursue a military strategy in Donbass, according to TASS.

“The West dubiously turned a blind eye to what Ukrainian radicals did to resolve the Donbass issue by force, which was the so-called Plan B. Moreover, the West actually supported the implementation of this scenario. In his speech at the Kremlin on September 30, the [Russian] president spoke in detail about the real plans by the US and its satellites to use the Zelensky regime to wage a war against Russia,” Lavrov noted.

From September 23-27, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR, LPR), as well as the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, held referendums on joining Russia, where most of their residents supported the idea. On September 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the four regions signed treaties on their accession to Russia.

Compiled by: Basma Qaddour