No more western-sponsored fake “Minsk-agreements”, fake state of Ukraine is shrinking again until deservedly fully disappears from the geopolitical maps where it appeared only relatively recently. A vote of the regions that were always throughout the history part of Russia and are populated by Russians to officially join Russia would allow Moscow to use all means necessary to defend Donbass, former president Dmitry Medvedev said.
Multiple Russian officials in the liberated parts of Ukraine on Tuesday announced their intent to stage referendums on joining Russia, including the head of the Donetsk People’s Republic Denis Pushilin, as well as the Russia-installed official over the southern Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo. “I think that people have long been waiting for a referendum here and it will probably be a political move that will help ensure the safety of civilians,” Pushillin said Tuesday.
The neighboring Luhansk People’s Republic, where fierce battles took place ahead of and into the summer wherein Russia definitively gobbled up most territory, has also adopted a law on holding a vote, now announced for September 23-27. LPR declares day off on September 27, final day of referendum TASS.
Bloomberg in reporting the announcement suggests that Ukraine’s counteroffensive in the east may have actually hastened Moscow’s timeline on annexation:
The Kremlin is moving hastily to stage sham votes on annexing the regions of Ukraine its forces still control, after Kyiv’s military drove Russian troops from large areas of territory taken in their seven-month-old invasion. The so-called Luhansk People’s Republic may hold its vote as soon as this weekend, Interfax quoted a senior legislator as saying Tuesday.
Kherson region’s Vladimir Saldo too said that “the leadership of the Kherson region administration decided to prepare and hold a referendum” after what he described as a public appeal, saying in a video message:
“We have set a course for reunification, a return to Russia. And we will not turn away from it.”
Vladimir Saldo expressed confidence that the accession to Russia will restore historical justice and ensure the region’ security
As for the two self-proclaimed republics in the Donbas, this has long been seen as perhaps inevitable since the war began, but even partially Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia region has seen pro-Russian officials have also set a referendum, based on the “We are together with Russia” movement. A referendum on whether people in the region want it to go under Moscow’s sovereignty is set to start on Friday. Zaporozhye Region in northeastern Ukraine will hold a referendum from 23-27 September on whether its people want to secede from the country and join Russia, the local administration’s head has announced.
Kremlin officials have long been on record as saying Ukrainian regions which hold a referendum vote in the affirmative will be recognized and granted admission to the Russian Federation. At the same time Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has vowed his forces will not stop fighting until every inch of Ukraine territory is liberated, including even the Crimea.
Bloomberg notes further of how the referendums are likely to change the battlefield dynamic:
By making the occupied zones formally part of Russia under the country’s laws, the votes may also allow the Kremlin to deploy conscript troops there, in addition to the current force of contract soldiers and military contractors.
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, said that the referendums will result in greater protection of residents from Ukrainian attacks. “Encroachment onto the territory of Russia is a crime which allows you to use all self-defense forces,” he said on Telegram.
So far in the Donbas – in the DPR and LPR regions – the main fighting forces have been the pro-Russian separatist militias. Making these Russian territory opens the door for ‘legal’ (in Moscow’s eyes) entry of regular conscripts and even permanent military bases.
Given the series of occupied Ukraine regions now declaring intent to hold referendums, coming just as news of these key changes being pushed through the State Duma emerge on Tuesday, it does seem Russia is about to quickly “answer” the ongoing Ukraine counteroffensive in a dramatic way.
Margarita Simonyan, the Editor-in-chief of state-funded RT news, made the following ominous prediction: “By what is happening and still about to happen, this week marks either the eve of our imminent victory, or the eve of nuclear war. I can’t see anything third.”
An attack on Russia’s territory would allow Moscow to use all available means to defend it, the former Russian president said
Donbass referendums on joining Russia will be of “great importance” for the “systemic defense” of the local population, former Russian president and deputy head of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev has said.
“An encroachment on Russian territory is a crime,” Medvedev wrote in a Telegram post, adding that Moscow would not hesitate to do anything necessary for “self-defense.”
According to Medvedev, such developments would make the “geopolitical transformation [of] the world irreversible.” The former president also said he believes that, after the relevant changes are introduced to the Russian Constitution, no Russian leader or official would be able to roll them back.
“That is why these referendums are so much feared in Kiev and in the West,” Medvedev added. His statement came early on Monday before the leaders of the Donbass republics announced that both would hold votes between September 23 and 27.
Russia recognized the two territories as independent republics in February, and demanded that Ukraine officially declare itself a neutral country that will never join any Western military bloc.
Most of the world still regards the territories as part of Ukraine, however Kiev lost de facto control of both in 2014, when the local populations rejected the outcome of the Western-backed Maidan coup, RT reports
The State Duma Speaker says Moscow will support and respect Donbass’ decision on whether to become part of Russia
Should the Donbass republics vote to join the Russian Federation after holding public referendums, Moscow will respect that decision, Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the lower house of parliament, said on Tuesday.
During a plenary session of the State Duma, Volodin stated: “if in the course of a direct declaration of will they say they want to be part of Russia, we will support them.” He added that the people of Donbass “must understand today that we expect them to freely express their will.”
Volodin’s comments came as the leaders of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics announced that they will be holding referendums on joining Russia, with the votes set to take place between 23 and 27 September.
The Russian-controlled Kherson and Zaporozhye regions of Ukraine have also confirmed they will be holding similar referendums on the same dates. The Deputy leader of the Kherson military-civilian administration, Kirill Stremousov, stated that residents want to join the Russian Federation as soon as possible because they fear being left behind, and want “guarantees” that Moscow will protect them from Kiev’s forces.