Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, pointed out at his meeting with Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General, that the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics have become independent in analogy with the International Court of Justice’s decision on Kosovo, which, as he said, was met with unanimous support.

“I have personally read every document from the International Court of Justice on the situation in Kosovo. I remember well the International Court’s decision stating that, in exercising their right to self-determination, a certain territory of any country has no obligation to seek permission to declare sovereignty from the central authorities of the country. That was said about Kosovo, and this is the International Court’s decision. That decision was unanimously supported,” said Putin to RIA Novosti, reported Tanjug.

Putin added that the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics have the same right to make a declaration of sovereignty without the permission of Ukraine’s central authorities, “as the international precedent has been set” in the territory of the Former Republic of Yugoslavia.