The Kremlin announced on Thursday that the territories in Ukraine that Russia claims to have annexed are currently temporarily occupied. Putin signed a decree that recognizes these regions as "special territories" of Russia. Such a status allows to accelerate the process of developing the territories and social infrastructure.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that this decision is necessary to improve the economic and social situation in Donbas. However, representatives of Ukraine and the West expressed concern about such actions, calling them a violation of international law.
Thus, the new decree by Putin recognizes the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as "special territories" of Russia, strengthening its influence on the conflict in the east of Ukraine.
