On 15 February 2022, the Russian State Duma adopted a resolution "On Appeal of the State Duma to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the Need to Recognise the 'Donetsk People's Republic' and 'Luhansk People's Republic'".

With this resolution, the Duma demands recognition of the so-called "independence" of the separatist entities in eastern Ukraine. Much in the same way as in 2008 after the aggression against Georgia, the Russian Federation recognized so-called "independence" of the separatists in Sukhumi and Tskhinvali.  The draft proposed by the CPRF faction was supported by 351 deputies.

However, quite unexpectedly, during the discussion of the draft resolution the renowned propagandist of separatism Konstantin Zatulin, who now holds the post of first deputy head of the Duma committee on the CIS, Eurasian integration and relations with compatriots, spoke sharply against it.

It should be recalled that Konstantin Zatulin is entirely on the payroll of the Armenian lobby and has fulfilled its "orders". First and foremost, an order for total support for separatism. Of course, the favourite separatist entity for Zatulin was so-called "Artsakh" which he had already declared "long ago" and demanded recognition of "independence of Artsakh" from Russia in Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia. No Russian politician has defended the Armenian occupants and separatists as zatulin did during the 44-day war.

Konstantin Zatulin was known for his rabid enmity towards Georgia and his support for the separatists in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region. During the events of 2014. Zatulin actively supported first the separatists in Ukrainian Crimea and then, when Crimea was annexed by the Russian Federation, the separatists in Ukrainian Donbass. It would seem that right now Zatulin should be at the forefront of those demanding recognition of the "independence" of the Russian-occupied parts of the Ukrainian Donetsk and Luhansk regions. But quite unexpectedly he opposed such a decision.

He explained his position as follows: "wait for the war" and recognize the "independence" of the separatists after the war has started:

"If Ukraine suddenly breaks the chain and attacks Donetsk and Luhansk, we have to step in. And then, incidentally, we should immediately raise the issue of recognition.

We already had such experience in 2008. Saakashvili attacked South Ossetia - and immediately we recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia in full compliance with the pre-announced measure.

Today's discussion could have been reduced to this as well: if you attack, we will recognise - keep it in mind. Instead we are saying "no, we will recognize anyway". But by that we are giving a free hand to Ukraine. Since Russia is going to recognise it anyway, what's the point of negotiating with it?" – Zatulin stated.

Zatulin demanded recognition of 'independence' of 'Artsakh' even when there was no military action to liberate the Azerbaijanian Karabakh. And now he does not say directly that the separatists cannot be recognized at all, but he explains his position this way - "let's wait for the war and then recognize the separatists". It is indeed somewhat strange for this politician. May be his Armenian "masters" have changed their minds and not all separatists are their "friends"?

Opposition to the recognition of the separatists in eastern Ukraine has come not only from the "fodder of the Armenian lobby in Russia. The distinctly pro-Western ArmenianReport also published an article entitled "How is Artsakh worse than the DNR and LNR?!"

( https://www.armenianreport.com/ru/pubs/307108/) with a note "Offending Armenian Report" sharply negative about the Russian State Duma's decision to recognise the "independence" of the DNR and LNR:

"How are South Ossetia, Abkhazia, the DPR and LPR different from "Artsakh"? Only in that "Artsakh" did not distribute Russian passports en masse. Otherwise, Russia could have recognized the independence of Artsakh long ago.

It is difficult to refrain from making analogies. Russian Duma deputies at the plenary session voted to recognize the DNR and LNR as independent, sovereign and independent states, Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said. He said a corresponding appeal would be sent to the Russian president "immediately".

Volodin said that "Russian citizens living in Donbas need help and support". "In this regard, the MPs believe that recognition of the DNR and LNR will create grounds for ensuring security guarantees and protection of the republics' residents from external threats as well as for strengthening international peace and regional stability in accordance with the goals and principles of the United Nations Charter and will launch the process of international recognition of both states," he said.

There is no doubt that Putin will eventually sign the appeal. What we are faced with is essentially a repetition of the scenario that took place in August 2008 when Russia recognised South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent. The only difference is that Russian troops are not standing within a dozen or two kilometres of Kiev, as they were in 2008 near Tbilisi.

" The authorities in Georgia and Ukraine since the collapse of the USSR have shown incompetence in choosing between external management by the West and good relations with Russia," said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. That is, he also confirmed the identity of the scenarios, the current one for Ukraine and the former one for Georgia. Also, Lavrov uttered the usual mantra about NATO.

" A major reason is that the authorities of these countries have shown incompetence. And they did so in circumstances where it was strongly desired to establish and eventually establish external control over them - for the sole purpose of tearing them away from Russia. To take them into NATO's sphere of influence", he stressed. Clearly, Lavrov is only trying to justify Russia's crimes. But we are talking about something else now.

How are South Ossetia, Abkhazia, DPR and LPR different from "Artsakh"?

Only by the fact that no Russian passports were distributed en masse in "Artsakh". Otherwise, Russia could have recognized the independence of Artsakh long ago. It has had more than a quarter of a century for that. That would have cooled down the fervour of Azerbaijani-Turkish military circles who went to war against "Artsakh".

But Russia did not agree to distribute its passports in "Artsakh". It has not recognized the independence of Artsakh over all these years. It did not take this step in the first days of the war that the small "Artsakh" had to wage against the huge army of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Pakistan and the militants from the Middle East helping them.

Now we hear more and more calls from Baku to speed up the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from their zone of responsibility. There are also threats that after the withdrawal of Russian troops, Azerbaijan will launch an attack on Stepanakert. The cynicism, meanness and bloodthirstiness of the enemy should not be underestimated. Baku believes in its right to use force.

Russia could sober them up. How? By recognizing the independence of "Artsakh" at least now. And needless to say, that Armenia must first take such a step. After all, the geopolitical weight of our country and that of Russia is completely incomparable. Russia could set a precedent. In addition, it would secure the people of "Artsakh" and somehow rehabilitate itself for its cowardly and traitorous position during the 44-day war."

It is very strange that the Armenian Report now accuses Russia of recognising the separatist Abkhazia and "South Ossetia". After all, at one time it was the Armenian lobby that amicably demanded such recognition from Russia, although it is not in Russia's interests at all.

If we take away propagandistic nonsense that supposedly some "armies of Turkey, Pakistan and fighters from the Middle East" liberated Garabagh from Armenian occupants (although such Armenian fighters-terrorists from Syria and Lebanon fought on the side of Armenia), the insult of Armenian nationalists becomes clear. After all, all the separatist projects were promoted by the Armenian lobby with the main aim of organizing the recognition of the so-called "Artsakh" by analogy. However, all these efforts were in vain. The Azerbaijani army destroyed 'Artsakh' for all eternity.  

Now, following the liquidation of Artsakh, it was time to liquidate another separatist project - Abkhazia, as "Armenia by the sea". The Armenian lobby is now feverishly trying to save this project, in particular to ensure that it receives even modest international recognition as an 'associated member of the UN'. But all these endeavours are doomed to failure. The farther away the international community becomes, the more negative is its stance towards the separatists. Moreover, since the separatists of the DNR and LNR are now one of the main causes of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, which may escalate into a third world war.

Separatism is unequivocally evil - it is becoming an axiom in the world. And the US and NATO are now increasingly urging Russia to withdraw troops not only from the occupied territories of Ukraine, but also from Georgia and Moldova, where they are guarding the separatist entities.

For example, if Russia's decision to recognize the separatists in the DNR and LNR provokes a "big war", the world community will simply eliminate all pockets of separatism as a result of this war. In order not to create new precedents. And the Armenian lobby will be deprived not only of "Artsakh" but also of Georgian Abkhazia which, by all accounts, is much more valuable to Armenian nationalists than Azerbaijani Karabakh.

Today, the Armenian lobby is urgently adjusting its policy of supporting separatism in order not to lose its recent "achievements" in fomenting separatist conflicts in order to prevent the collapse of their own plans to create "The Great Armenia" and "Armenia by the sea" in Georgian Abkhazia.

Kavkazplus