Vladimir Putin has officially recognized the independence of the self-proclaimed "republics" in eastern Ukraine. The Russian president signed the corresponding decree on Monday, February 21, following a lengthy address to the nation. The issue of recognizing the "Donetsk People's Republic" (DNR) and "Luhansk People's Republic" (LNR) was also discussed at length during an extraordinary meeting of the Russian Security Council earlier in the day. Speaking at the meeting, Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Kolokoltsev suggested that Moscow recognize the "historical" boundaries of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions as the breakaway territories' frontiers. However, this elides the fact that a significant portion of the territories the DNR and LNR claim remain under the control of the Ukrainian government.