PanARMENIAN.Net - Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) President Arayik Harutyunyan has welcomed the decision of Russian President Vladimir Putin to recognize the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk – the breakaway regions of Ukraine – on Monday, February 21.

"The right of nations to self-determination and building one’s own state is inalienable for every people and is a fundamental principle of the international law," Harutyunyan said Tuesday.

"The establishment of an independent state and its international recognition becomes an imperative especially in the face of existential dangers, as it is the most effective and civilized means of preventing bloodshed and humanitarian disaster."

Harutyunyan maintained that Artsakh has been fighting for its freedom, security and state-building for decades, and has been exposed to many trials and genocidal actions. he argued that Karabakh, which has relevant indisputable historical, political, legal and moral bases, has earned the international recognition of its sovereign state.

The White House, meanwhile, responded to Putin’s decision to recognize the independence of two breakaway regions of Ukraine, levying a number of sanctions on the region.