Kiev –
Regions to the east and south Ukraine which is dominated Russia will start voting this week to become an integral part of Russia. Several countries, including Ukraine, also criticized the plan.
As reported by APNews, on Wednesday (9/21/2022), scheduling of the referendum will begin on Friday (9/23) in Luhansk, Kherson and parts of the Russian-controlled regions of Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk. A close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin said the vote was necessary due to Moscow’s defeat in the invasion that began nearly seven months ago.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who is also deputy head of the Russian Security Council chaired by Putin, said a referendum that folds the territory back into Russia itself would make the redesigned borders “irreversible”. He also allows Moscow to use “any means” to defend it.
ANNOUNCEMENT
Swipe to resume content
–
The vote, in territory already under Russian control, will certainly follow Russia’s path. However, the Russian side understands that this is unlikely to be recognized by Western governments who are backing Ukraine with military and other support that has helped its forces gain momentum on the battlefields to the east and south.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba denounced the expected vote. He accused him of being a hoax.
“Ukraine has the right to liberate its territory and will continue liberating it no matter what Russia says,” he tweeted.
Not only Dmytro Kuleba, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan also condemned the vote. He insisted that he would never recognize the territory as part of Russia.
“We will never recognize this region as anything other than part of Ukraine,” he said, adding that it reflected Russia’s setback on the battlefield.
“This is not an act of a confident country. This is not an act of force,” he continued.
Subsequently, at the UN General Assembly in New York, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned the referendum.
“It is very, very clear that this bogus referendum is unacceptable,” said Olaf.
(country / country)
–
