Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed two decrees recognizing "the Lugansk People`s Republic (LPR)" and "the Donetsk People`s Republic (DPR)" as independent and sovereign states.

At a ceremony held in the Kremlin on Monday, Putin also inked the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between Russia and the LPR and the DPR respectively with the heads of the two "republics," a Kremlin statement said, Xinhua news agency reported.