Russia's recognition of the Luhansk and Donetsk People's republics (LPR/DPR) in Eastern Ukraine as independent countries takes the conflict with Ukraine into a new phase that will likely involve Moscow using the threat of further military action against Ukraine to constrain Kyiv. At a meeting of Russia's Security Council on Feb. 21, top Russian officials supported recognizing the independence of the Russian-occupied separatist regions of Ukraine as independent countries, a decision President Vladimir Putin announced in a televised speech. Moscow's decision signifies the end of the Minsk II Agreement that Moscow had, until days ago, insisted since 2015 was the only way to regulate the conflict. Russia's abandonment of the Minsk peace agreements signifies the end of its previous strategy for exerting influence over the Ukrainian government.