Russia

MOSCOW, February 22. /TASS/: The Federation Council at a special session on Tuesday unanimously ratified the agreements on friendship, cooperation, and mutual assistance with the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, which were submitted by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who on Monday stated they should be recognized as independent.

The senators met the results of the vote with applause.

MOSCOW, February 22. /TASS/: Russia’s COVID-19 case tally rose by 135,172, over the past day to 15,657,928, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Tuesday.

In absolute terms, the growth rate was the lowest since February 1. In relative terms, it reached 0.87%.

As many as 17,294 patients with COVID-19 were hospitalized in Russia in the past day, up 95.7% from a day earlier. Meanwhile, in 76 regions the number of those hospitalized has increased, while in 9 regions the number has decreased, according to the crisis center.

MOSCOW, February 22. /TASS/: Suggestions that there would have been no sanctions and condemnation from the West against Russia if it had not recognized the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR) are an illusion, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoma Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday on Solovyov Live YouTube channel.

MOSCOW, February 22. /TASS/: Russia hopes that the UN Secretariat, before making any statements regarding Russia’s decision to recognize the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, will rely on the organization’s basic principles, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on the Rossiya-24 round-the-clock television news channel on Tuesday.

"It is my strong wish to see the UN Secretariat’s leadership, in making some statements, adhere to the basic principles the organization rests upon in accordance with the decisions made by the member-states.

MOSCOW, February 22. /TASS/: The severance of diplomatic relations with Ukraine will only further complicate relations between the two countries and peoples and is extremely unwelcome, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that he had received a request from the foreign ministry to sanction the severance of diplomatic relations with Russia and promised to consider it.

MOSCOW, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Russian leader Vladimir Putin got the green light from his upper house of parliament on Tuesday to deploy Russian military forces to two separatist-held regions of eastern Ukraine for what lawmakers said would be a "peacekeeping" mission.

Inflaming a crisis with the West, the upper chamber's lawmakers voted unanimously in favour after Putin asked for permission to deploy forces abroad. That step came after Moscow recognised the independence of the Ukrainian regions on Monday, triggering international condemnation and sanctions. 

MOSCOW/DONETSK, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Germany put a new gas pipeline on ice and Britain hit Russian banks with sanctions on Tuesday, as the West responded to Moscow's recognition of two separatist regions in Ukraine and a speech by President Vladimir Putin suggesting more belligerent aims.

Putin said the territory Russia had recognised as independent covered the entire Donetsk and Luhansk regions, not merely the parts currently controlled by the separatists - a move that appeared to increase the likelihood of conflict.

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia set the stage for a quick move to secure its hold on Ukraine’s rebel regions on Tuesday with new legislation that would allow the deployment of troops there as the West prepares to announce sanctions against Moscow amid fears of a full-scale invasion.

MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/: The government has been preparing for many months to the consequences of recognizing the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said at a Security Council meeting.

"We have already been preparing many months for the possible response to the recognition of LPR and DPR. I mean in the first instance import substitution and the analysis of all risks we can face in case of making such a decision," the Prime Minister said.

MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/: Russia’s COVID-19 case tally rose by 152,337, a new low since February 2, over the past day to 15,522,756, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Monday.

In relative terms, the growth rate reached 0.99%.

As many as 8,835 patients with COVID-19 were hospitalized in Russia in the past day, down 14.8% from a day earlier. Meanwhile, in 53 regions the number of those hospitalized has decreased, while in 31 regions the number has increased, according to the crisis center. The situation remained unchanged in one region.