Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday invoked the 2008 declaration of independence by Kosovo as a legal precedent for the secession of Ukraine’s Donetsk and Lugansk regions, asserting they had the right under international law to leave Ukraine without the central government’s permission.
In a discussion with heads of global news agencies, Putin stated:
“A part of one country’s territory decided to secede from the main part. I’m talking about Ukraine’s southeastern regions of Donetsk and Lugansk. They have made the decision to secede. Did they have the right to do so or not? Strictly speaking, under international law and the UN Charter, they did.” “As this process unfolded, were they obliged to ask for the central government’s permission or not? No. There is a relevant decision by the UN International Court [of Justice], which ruled that there has been a precedent set by Kosovo.”
Kosovo, formerly part of Serbia, declared independence in 2008 without holding a referendum and despite being under United Nations administration following the 1999 NATO bombing campaign. In 2010, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion stating that Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence did not violate international law, with the court voting 10–4 in favor.
Russia has long referenced Kosovo’s case to justify recognizing or absorbing breakaway regions. In 2008, it cited Kosovo in its recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia after the Russia–Georgia war. Similarly, in 2014, Moscow pointed to the precedent when it annexed Crimea.
The Donetsk and Lugansk regions held referendums in 2014 to declare independence from Ukraine. In 2022, amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, both regions—along with the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts—voted to join the Russian Federation, according to the Kremlin.
Western nations, including the United States and most EU members, recognized Kosovo’s independence despite its unilateral nature and ties to a military intervention. However, many of those same countries have condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine, calling the annexations illegal and refusing to recognize any change in Ukraine’s territorial borders.
Moscow has repeatedly accused the West of hypocrisy, pointing to the Kosovo case as evidence of double standards in international law and diplomacy.