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Despite warnings from the West, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the independence of two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine in an emotional address aired on state television on Monday.

“I believe it is necessary to take a long overdue decision, to immediately recognize the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic,” he said.

Putin then signed mutual aid and friendship agreements with rebel leaders in the Kremlin, according to state broadcaster.

Putin asked Russia’s upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, to “support this decision” at the conclusion of his lengthy speech.

Putin requested the Federation Council, Russia’s upper house of parliament, to “support this decision” at the end of his lengthy speech. On Tuesday, both Russia’s lower and upper houses of parliament will vote on the recognition.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also asked that Ukraine stop military operations against pro-Moscow rebels in the country’s east or suffer more bloodshed.

“We demand an end to military actions immediately,” Putin added, accusing Kyiv of “trying to organize a blitzkrieg” in east Ukraine. Otherwise, all responsibility for the possible continuation of bloodshed will be fully on the conscience of the regime in power in Ukraine,” he added.

The West had warned Putin repeatedly not to recognize Ukraine’s rebels, as doing so would effectively bury a fragile peace agreement governing the conflict. These pleas, however, were dismissed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Shortly before his speech, he notified French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that he would recognize them.

Putin talked for about an hour, interspersed with historical references, in which he questioned Ukraine’s right to sovereignty and claimed the West had been deceiving Moscow for years. “Modern Ukraine was entirely and completely created by Russia,” Putin said.

Putin suggested that Ukraine be named “Ukraine of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin,” claiming that the country owes its existence to the Russian revolutionary. He also accused Kyiv of carrying out “genocide” in eastern Ukraine and planning to acquire a nuclear arsenal.

For years, Putin claims, the West has “spat” on Russia’s security worries by “expanding NATO eastwards and bringing military infrastructure closer to Russia’s borders.”

“Regardless of the situation in Ukraine,” he claimed, the West was attempting to “blackmail” Moscow.

“There is only one aim: to stop Russia from developing. And they will do it, as they did before, even without any formal pretext at all,” Vladimir Putin said.