Ukrainian Parliament refuses to recognize separatist DPR and LPR as ‘terrorist organizations’
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine refused to recognize the self-proclaimed Donetsk [DPR] and Luhansk People's Republics [LPR] as "terrorist organizations" without collecting sufficient votes during the consideration of amendments to the bill on the reintegration of the Donbas, as NewsOne reports.
76 out of the 340 present in the hall deputies voted for the adoption of the amendments.
On January 16th, the Parliament of Ukraine discussed in the second reading a bill “On the peculiarities of state policy on the restoration of the state sovereignty of Ukraine over the temporarily occupied territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine." This has provoked disorder within the Verkhovna Rada’s. Activists demanded the law be passed, burning tires and attempting to set the Russian flag on fire in protest. During the clashes between activists and security forces, one policeman was injured and one of the activists was arrested.
In November 2017, an amendment was added to the bill on the reintegration of Donbas which "on the legislative level will record a break" of diplomatic relations between Russia and Ukraine. In the text of the amendment it was indicated that representatives of the DPR and the LPR that govern the separatist-held territories of Ukraine, will be recognized as terrorist organizations, as NewsOne reports.