MOSCOW, February 23. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone conversation on Wednesday exchanged assessments on the situation around Russia’s recognition of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, the Kremlin press service said.
"Vladimir Putin stressed the real need for the decision that was made amid the Ukrainian authorities’ aggression in Donbass and their absolute refusal to implement the Minsk agreements," the statement said.
In his turn, Erdogan outlined "his well-known opinion in this regard," the press service stated.
On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a decision to recognize the sovereignty of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. The treaties on friendship, cooperation and mutual aid were signed with their leaders. On February 22, the State Duma and the Federation Council ratified both documents and Putin signed the respective laws on the same day.
