Russian MPs have urged Vladimir Putin to recognize two separatist-held areas in eastern Ukraine as independent, writes Euronews. It comes following a vote in the Duma on Tuesday.

Two resolutions were presented to the lower house with the aim of recognizing the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) as independent. Both are located in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas where Russian-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian forces since 2014.

The difference between the two resolutions is that the first one appealed directly to Putin to “immediately” recognize the two areas as independent, while the second was to be sent to Russia’s foreign ministry and other governmental structures “for study and feedback”.

Viacheslav Volodin, the speaker of the Duma lower house, said in a statement following the vote that “the deputies decided to send an appeal to the president”.

He argued such a recognition „will create grounds for guaranteeing the security and protection of the inhabitants of the republics from external threats, as well as for strengthening international peace and regional stability in accordance with the purposes and principle of the Charte of the United Nations and will initiate the process of international recognition both states“.