The People's Council of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) ratified the agreement on Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance with Russia, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Tuesday.

During an extraordinary plenary session, all 87 lawmakers voted for the agreement's ratification.

DPR head Denis Pushilin pointed out that the next step after the ratification of the cooperation agreement with Russia will be the establishment of diplomatic relations and interaction between relevant ministries.

Similarly, 46 lawmakers who attended a meeting of the People's Council of the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) supported the ratification of a similar agreement with Russia.

LPR head Leonid Pasechnik signed on Tuesday the law on the ratification of the agreement on friendship and cooperation between the republic and Moscow.

Agreements active for 10 years

Russia's agreements with the Donbass region republics will be active for 10 years and can be further extended for another five years, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko indicated Tuesday.

"The agreement is concluded for a period of 10 years with the possibility of automatic renewal for five-year periods, is subject to ratification and enters into force on the day of publication. It can be changed and supplemented by mutual agreement of the parties," Rudenko told reporters.

This comes following Russian President Vladimir Putin's recognition of the sovereignty of the DPR and LPR.

People in the Donbass region celebrated Monday the decision by waving Russian flags and setting off fireworks amid cheering in support of the Russian decision.

Watch | Fireworks continue in DPR and LPR after Putin's decree. pic.twitter.com/uMIFkBM82l

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) February 21, 2022

However, in an early address to the public, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that Ukraine's internationally recognized borders will remain unchanged, despite the Russian recognition of sovereignty.

It is noteworthy that the two republics have accused Kiev of repeatedly shelling the Donbass region with 120mm mortars, which are banned by the Minsk agreements.

Acting Russian Emergencies Minister Alexander Chupriyan revealed Monday that around 61,000 citizens of the DPR and LPR had crossed the border into Russia's Rostov Region as part of an evacuation amid the escalation in eastern Ukraine.