Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, right, signed decrees recognizing the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics on February 21, 2022.Alexei Nikolsky/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS via Getty Images Naomi Schalit, The Conversationo war, claimed on Feb. 21, 2022, that all of Ukraine belongs to Russia and formally recognized the independence of two breakaway re Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a provocative address that could be construed as a pretext tgions in Ukraine that are largely controlled by Moscow-backed separatists. His government then orde…
