Amid Russia's recognition of LPR and DPR, political analysts assess chances of Abkhazia and South Ossetia

In case Russia incorporates the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), the same way will open for Abkhazia and South Ossetia, political analysts have pointed out, but disputed about how the Russia's recognition of the DPR and LPR would affect the development of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 21, Vladimir Putin signed decrees to recognize the independence of the LPR and DPR; and on February 22, the Federation Council (the upper house of the Russian Parliament) gave consent to the Russian President to use the country's armed forces abroad.

In the opinion of Dmitry Oreshkin, a political analyst, Russian authorities failed to annex Abkhazia and South Ossetia in 2008, as this would have been "a more serious offense" in the diplomacy language.

At the same time, he believes that Abkhazia and South Ossetia have a strong desire to join Russia: people there live in a "black hole" and hope that if they join Russia, their life will improve, "although the Crimea's example showed that this is a delusion."

The recognition of DPR's and LPR's independence has rather intensified the crisis, Mr Oreshkin believes. In his opinion, the conflict had been "frozen" since 2015, and now the "unfreezing" thereof may happen.

Arkady Dubnov, on the contrary, believes that there will be no "big war."

The recognition of the DPR and LPR can help avoid an escalation of the situation, Abbas Galyamov, a political analyst, is also sure.