Having met in Kyiv on February 23, 2022, we, the Presidents of Ukraine, the Republic of Lithuania, and the Republic of Poland - the countries of the Lublin Triangle, strongly condemn the decision of the Russian Federation to acknowledge the quasi-formation of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine - the so-called "Luhansk People's Republic" and "Donetsk People's Republic".
This unprovoked aggressive move by Russia is another gross violation of fundamental norms and principles of international law, including the UN Charter, as well as the security guarantees provided to Ukraine by the 1994 Budapest Memorandum.
Russia has deliberately and unilaterally withdrawn itself from the Minsk agreements and is therefore fully responsible for the further deterioration of the security situation on the ground.
We reaffirm our strong commitment to Ukraine's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, including its territorial waters. The decision of the Russian Federation to recognize the so-called "LPR" and "DPR" will have no legal outcomes.
We call on the international community to take decisive and far-reaching steps in response to this another act of aggression by Russia against Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Such a response should include the quick introduction of a strong package of sanctions against the Russian Federation, including measures aimed at Nord Stream-2.
We call on Russia to de-escalate and withdraw its armed forces located on Ukraine's borders and temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, and to refrain from taking any further military action.
The Presidents of the Republic of Lithuania and the Republic of Poland stand on the side of Ukraine, fully approving and supporting its efforts to resolve the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in a diplomatic and peaceful manner.
Ukraine deserves our strongest support for its European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations, which corresponds to the will and choice of the Ukrainian people.
Lithuania and Poland reaffirm their support for Ukraine's European perspective in accordance with the relevant joint declarations of March 18 and May 3, 2021.
We emphasize that, given the progress in the implementation of the Association Agreement and internal reforms, as well as the current security challenges, Ukraine deserves EU candidate status, and the Republic of Lithuania and the Republic of Poland will support Ukraine in achieving this goal.
Information - Office of the President of Ukraine.
