The do-called “referendums” in the temporarily occupied Donetsk, Luhansk and Kherson regions will not change Ukraine’s plans on de-occupation of its territories, advisor to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podoliak has said.
“Russian can schedule ‘referendums’ and other similar provincial theater performances for any dates – it does not matter for Ukraine. This also does not change anything in the planning of our actions for de-occupation, as well as does not change anything for our partners. All of our territories, including Kherson, Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk, were and remain Ukrainian in line with the international law, and our actions there are lawful and comply with the concept of a defense war,” he told the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency.
In addition, according to Podoliak, the “referendum” itself in the midst of the war and active counteroffensive “looks not just absurdly, but exclusively in the style of Russia’s especial idiocy of the recent days.”
“They do not have either legal or physical opportunities. Just pure primitive propaganda,” he said.
Podoliak also recalled that Russia had already planned to carry out a similar scheme in Kharkiv region.
“And we can see the result. Their pseudo-referendum turnout had a negative value. Should we expect the same in the rest of the temporarily occupied territories? The ‘observers’ from Ukraine at these performances – our HIMARS – will show,” he said.
https://en.interfax.com.ua/news/general/860074.html
In addition, according to Podoliak, the “referendum” itself in the midst of the war and active counteroffensive “looks not just absurdly, but exclusively in the style of Russia’s especial idiocy of the recent days.”
Whatever happened to the russian goals of removing “nazis” and de-militarizing Ukraine? This looks more and more like a squalid land grab, hoping the West will stop supplying Ukraine with weapons if he declares these Ukrainian lands as part of russia. This is not 2014 and Putler won’t be getting any support from Western countries, he’s all on his own this time.
Putin knows he’s finished so this must be him thrashing about while cornered like a rat. It seems this illegal attempt at the land grab is either to try to justify mobilization, use nukes or nullify the Hague proceedings.