What it means for Russia to recognize independence of Ukrainian regions

The emblem of the Donetsk People's Republic.
(Image credit: Alexander Nemenov/AFP via Getty Images)

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed a decree recognizing the independence of two separatist regions of Ukraine, the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic, and ordered troops to the areas, saying they will "maintain peace." But what exactly does it mean for Putin to recognize these breakaway regions?

In 2014, Russian-backed separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions declared that they were now independent "people's republics" and no longer tied to the Ukrainian government, Reuters explains. These areas were never recognized until Putin's announcement on Monday, and once forces are there, Russia could say it is intervening in matters because it is an ally.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.