Lawmakers in the Russian State Duma have backed a motion calling on the Kremlin to recognize the independence of the breakaway Donetsk and Lugansk regions in eastern Ukraine, with the overwhelming majority voting in support of the draft resolution amid heightened tensions between Moscow and Kiev.
On Tuesday, 351 MPs backed the draft proposal, originally introduced by the Communist Party, which is addressed directly to the head of state. Meanwhile, 16 legislators opposed the move and one abstained.
Following the vote on the resolution, Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin said that the provision “will be signed immediately” and sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin for feedback.
According to one of the lawmakers behind the decision, Russians would be prepared to feel the pinch of sanctions as a result of recognizing the two Donbass regions, sacrificing the traditional end-of-year bonus paid by many firms. “I am sure that the people of Russia today fully support our decree and are ready to give up more than just their 13th salary payment,” Kazbek Taisaev claimed.