DPR Speaker Sends Congratulations to Angela Merkel on Women’s Day
Andrei Purgin, a parliament speaker of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), sent his congratulations to Angela Merkel on International Women’s Day on March 8.

Purgin also called Merkel to put pressure on the Ukrainian government, so it would recognize the independence of Donbas.
“If for them [Kyiv], our Donetsk Republic is alien land outside the rule of law, and we, the residents of Donbas, are their enemies that need to be bombed and starved, then let them be consistent through the end. Let them recognize our independence from Ukraine,” Purgin said.