Overwhelming majority of LPR residents wish to be part of Russia - Pasechnik

Lugansk People’s Republic residents overwhelmingly wish to join Russia, LRP Head Leonid Pasechnik said in an interview with the NTV television channel.

“I hope that we’ll become a part of the Russian Federation. It is the drive and the wish of an overwhelming majority of LPR residents which guided us in the period of 2014,” Pasechnik said.

On February 21, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the sovereignty of the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics. He asked the Federal Assembly to support this decision and then ratify the friendship and mutual assistance treaty with the Donbass Republics. On the same day, Putin and LPR Head Leonid Pasechnik signed a friendship, cooperation and mutual assistance treaty between Russia and the Lugansk People’s Republic. Russia established diplomatic relations with the LPR and DPR at the ambassadorial level starting February 22.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation to protect Donbass residents from Ukrainian aggression and urged Ukrainian army servicemen to leave the zone of fighting. Earlier, the LPR and DPR Heads asked the Russian leader to provide military assistance.

The Ukrainian government launched the so-called anti-terrorist operation against Donbass in April 2014.  The members of the Contact Group on conflict settlement have announced ceasefire more than 20 times since the autumn of 2014. Kiev forces regularly violated the truce opening fire with large caliber artillery, mortars and tank guns which were to have been withdrawn from the contact line under the accords. *i*s