shaken up in the field, Russia intends to organize annexation referendums at the end of the week, paving the way for general mobilization or new nuclear blackmail.
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After weeks of recoil in the Ukrainian field, Russia intends to resume the initiative thanks to a weapon which it likes, that of referendums. The announcement of such elections, relating to an “attachment” to the Russian Federation, was carried out simultaneously, Tuesday, September 20, by the prorussian authorities of the regions of Louhansk, Donetsk, Zaporijia and Kherson. These consultations, announced in an emergency, must take place from September 23 to 27, an even shorter organizational period than during the Crimean annexation referendum in March 2014. This surprise initiative promises diplomatic escalation and especially military.
“The people of Donbass, who have been suffering for a long time, deserves to be part of this great country which he has always considered his homeland”, writes on Telegram the leader of the “People’s Republic of Donetsk”, Denis Pouchiline, Asking the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, to recognize the result of the vote, “in the event of a positive decision”. In turn, the leaders of the territories held by Moscow made similar declarations, without explaining the need for such haste. Additional signal sign, the Donetsk authorities first mentioned an electronic ballot, before backing machine.
No word has obviously been said about the participation of the millions of Ukrainian citizens forced to flee these territories in recent years and in recent months. The Russian electoral commission, on the other hand, said it would install polling stations in Russia for the Ukrainians who are refugees there. These announcements seem perfectly coordinated with Moscow. It took a few minutes to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov, to indicate that he supported the organization of these consultations. An intervention by Vladimir Putin, but also of his Minister of Defense, Sergei Choigou, was also announced in the evening by sources at the Kremlin.
serious confession of failure
The announcements of the prorussian authorities were welcomed with cries of joy by loyal commentators at the Kremlin. But this enthusiasm badly hides the evidence, that of a serious confession of failure: announced for a long time, these annexation referendums were supposed to be held only on completely “released” territories. However, the Russian army was not even able to conquer the entire Donetsk region, a priority objective of “the special operation” in Ukraine, resulting in the consultation repeatedly. From now on, it is even the decline in the Russian forces that dictates the tempo. Monday, the “civil chamber” of the “People’s Republic of Louhansk” was the first to call for the organization of an emergency consultation.
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