The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus said that they "respect and understand" Russia's decision to recognize the independence of the "L/DPR". This was reported by the website of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry.

"We respect and understand the decision of the Russian side to recognize the independence of "Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics. The Republic of Belarus has always actively and consistently advocated a peaceful settlement of the conflict in southeastern Ukraine. We still consider diplomatic methods to be a priority and are ready to contribute to this process in every way possible. We welcome the statements of the Russian side about its openness to diplomacy in this context," the Belarusian Foreign Ministry wrote.

The issue of Kazakhstan's recognition of the so-called "DPR" and "LPR" is not an issue right now. Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi said this, answering journalists' questions on the sidelines of the government.

"The official position of Kazakhstan is now being developed, in the next few hours the Kazakhstan Security Council will be held, where we will finally adopt the official position of Kazakhstan. But I must assure you that there is no question of Kazakhstan's recognition of the "Donetsk" and "Lugansk republics." That is, we proceed from the basics of international law and the basic principles and charters of the UN, "- said the Kazakh minister.

Switzerland, in a Foreign Ministry statement on Twitter, called Russia's recognition of the DNR and LNR "a gross violation of international law, the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and the Minsk agreements" and called for abandoning the decision.

Denmark condemns the decision. The country's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a message published by the office on Twitter that Russia's decision to recognize the DNR and LNR violates Ukraine's sovereignty and will not go unanswered.

"The Spanish government condemns Russia's unilateral recognition of separatist territories in eastern Ukraine. This is a violation of the Minsk agreements and international law. We will respond in a coordinated manner together with our partners," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on Twitter.

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa also voiced his condemnation. "Russia's recognition of Ukraine's two separatist regions clearly violates the Minsk agreements and threatens the territorial integrity of Ukraine. We strongly condemn this action and express our full solidarity with Ukraine," Costa wrote on Twitter.

China called on all parties concerned to continue dialogue to resolve the crisis peacefully.

"We welcome and encourage all attempts at a diplomatic settlement and call on all parties concerned to continue dialogue and consultation, to find reasonable solutions that address each other's concerns on the basis of equality and mutual respect," Zhang Jun, the country's permanent representative to the UN, told the UN Security Council.

Meanwhile, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega supported Russia's recognition of the DPR and LPR and called it a step toward security in the region.

"This step <...> will create the conditions for mutual understanding. What Russia is asking for is security.<...> Thank God no invasion is happening, because it was said that Russia was going to invade Ukraine. The situation could have been much worse," Ortega said during a speech in Managua.