KYIV. Feb 22 (Interfax) - Ukraine is calling an emergency summit of the Normandy Format following Russia's decision to recognize the independence of the self-proclaimed Donbas republics, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
"An emergency convocation of the Normandy Four summit has been initiated. A meeting of the UN Security Council and a special meeting of the OSCE were also initiated," Zelensky said in a video address in the early hours of Tuesday.
Ukraine also insists on the full work of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to prevent provocations and a further escalation, he said.
"We expect clear and effective steps of support from our partner," the president said.
Ukraine qualifies Russia's recent steps to recognize the Donetsk (DPR) and Luhansk (LPR) People's Republics as a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Ukrainian state, Zelensky said.
"Ukraine unequivocally qualifies the recent actions of the Russian Federation as a violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state. All responsibility for the consequences of these decisions rests with Russia's political leadership," he said.
Recognition by Russia of the DPR and the LPR amounts to Russia's unilateral withdrawal from the Minsk Agreements for Donbas and ignores the decisions of the Normandy Four, he said.
"Recognizing the 'independence' of the occupied districts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions could mean Russia's unilateral withdrawal from the Minsk agreements and ignoring decisions within the Normandy Four. It undermines peaceful efforts and destroys existing negotiating formats," Zelensky said.