This week, Russia recognised the sovereignty of Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DLPR), two breakaway territories in Eastern Ukraine, and signed treaties on social, economic, and military cooperation. Those treaties allow the Russian military to enter those republics and act in case of an 'external military threat'. DLPR has territorial claims over the enlarged Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, but Russia indicated that it hopes for a diplomatic resolution. So far, there have been no confirmed cases of direct military contact between the Russian and Ukrainian military, but there are OSCE reports of ... (full story)