The question here, for those of you who lack the ability to reason, is this.
Why does it matter why Russia recognizes these provinces? Will it matter to Mr. Potato and his handlers in the Oval Office? Will they just shrug and say, well, we avoided a war!
Now, ask yourself this. If Mexico said they recognize New Mexico, Arizona, and California's independence from the United States, would it matter what Mexica said or what Washington, D.C. said?
In this case, Kyiv is the equivalent of D. C.
More importantly, however; is this. Is this Putin's thinly disguised reason to move into Ukraine and if so, WHY THE **** DO WE CARE?
In case you missed the emphasis, the last six words are the entire point of the thread.