President Arayik Harutyunyan of Artsakh has welcomed Russia’s recognition of the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, hailing it as an imperative for people’s right to self-determination. Artsakh’s parliament speaker also issued a similarly-worded statement on Tuesday.
During a televised address on Monday, President Vladimir Putin of Russia announced his intention to recognize the independence of the two areas in the Donbass region of Ukraine, whose leaders have enjoyed Russia’s backing.
Western leaders, however, were angered by Putin’s move and asserted that the recognition gave the Russian leader more reason to fulfill his plan of invading Ukraine.
“The right of nations to self-determination and building one’s own state is inalienable for every people and is a fundamental principle of the international law,” President Harutyuyan said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The establishment of an independent state and its international recognition becomes an imperative especially in the face of existential dangers, as it is the most effective and civilized means of preventing bloodshed and humanitarian disaster,” he added.
Harutyunyan pointed out hat the Republic of Artsakh has been fighting for its freedom, security and state-building for decades, and has been exposed to many trials and genocidal actions.
“Thus, we hope that the Republic of Artsakh, which has relevant indisputable historical, political, legal and moral bases, has earned the international recognition of its sovereign state,” he said.
Yet, having declared its independence more than 30 year ago and over the years functioning as an independent state, the recognition of Artsakh was never brought up by Moscow, even during the 44-Day war in 2020.
Artsakh has relations with two other un-recognized states—Abkhazia and South Ossetia—which declared their independence following Russia’s military conflict with Georgia.
“We congratulate the people of Donbass on the legal-political recognition of the self-determination of the two republics,” Tovmasyan, the Artsakh parliament speaker, said in a statement Tuesday.
The European Union, NATO, France and Great Britain reacted to Putin’s recognition with harsh words, calling it a breach of international law and an effort to undermine Ukraine’s sovereignty.
