The Russian parliament's lower chamber, the State Duma, has voted in favor of sending a resolution to ask President Vladimir Putin to recognize two territories in eastern Ukraine held by separatists as independent states.
Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, a member of the pro-Kremlin ruling United Russia party, said after the move was approved by lawmakers on February 15 that he will sign the resolution immediately and send it to Putin for consideration.
The move, if approved by Putin, could further exacerbate tensions with the West over a Russian military buildup of an estimated 130,000 troops near the border with Ukraine that has fueled fears of an imminent attack. Russia has steadfastly denied any such plans and has accused the West of creating a crisis with its hysteria.
Recognition of the two entities, which call themselves the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics and comprise part of the region commonly known as the Donbas, could also spell the end of the Minsk peace process in eastern Ukraine, where a conflict between government forces and Moscow-backed separatists has killed more than 13,200 people since April 2014.
"This recognition would be a clear violation of the Minsk agreements," said Josep Borrell, the European Union's top diplomat.
"EU support and commitment to Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders remains unwavering," he added.
Earlier in the day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow that there were no official discussions about recognizing the two regions.
Russia has been pushing Ukraine to implement the Minsk agreements which, according to Moscow, envision special status for the separatist-controlled territories to give them more autonomy within Ukraine.
Kyiv has rejected the notion, however, saying it is a thinly veiled attempt by the Kremlin to federalize Ukraine and ultimately take control of it.
Russia has provided military, economic, and political support to the separatists. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Moscow maintains that it is not involved in Ukraine's domestic affairs.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told reporters that if Putin approves recognition of the territories, "Russia will de facto and de jure withdraw from the Minsk agreements with all the attendant consequences."
Volodin alleged that Ukraine isn't observing the Minsk agreements.
"Our citizens and compatriots who live in Donbas need our help and support," he said on Twitter.
Putin declined to be drawn out on whether he plans to approve the resolution. Speaking at a joint news conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, he said Russians were sympathetic to the residents of the Donbas region, but he wanted the regions' problems to be resolved through the Minsk accords.
He also falsely claimed that Ukraine was committing “genocide” in its eastern provinces, where many native Russian-speakers live.
The comment raised concern over the possibility of a provocation in the Ukraine crisis. Putin has said in the past that Moscow is ready to protect ethnic Russians outside its borders.
Scholz called Putin’s “genocide” statement “wrong.”