DISINFO: If Russia recognised DNR and LNR, the Ukrainian army would collapse immediately
SUMMARY
If Russia decided to officially recognise the two people's republics of Donbas and moved to deploy peacekeeping forces, nothing would be left of the Ukrainian military, they would run away immediately. Everything points towards this direction, their failure is inevitable.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring disinformation narrative aimed at undermining the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine, as well as its military.
The two breakaway republics of the Donbas region, which has remained the primary scene of the Donbas War since 2014, have already received de-facto recognition from the Kremlin. Since the start of the conflict in 2014, the Kremlin, whilst not recognising the two disputed regions officially, has continued to supply the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics and provide them with military and financial support.
Furthermore, the claim above concerning the situation of the Ukrainian military is pure speculation without substantiated evidence. The Ukrainian army has gone through substantial developments since 2014, supported by domestic reforms in the defence sector and agreements provided by Kyiv's international partners.