NATO has come out denouncing Donbass referendums scheduled to start later this week that will give people a vote on if they want to join Russia.
RT:
Reacting to the announcement that the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics (LPR and DPR) will hold a ballot to join Russia later this week, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday called them illegitimate and demanded more support for Ukraine from the “international community.”
“Sham referendums have no legitimacy and do not change the nature of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” Stoltenberg said on Twitter, calling it “a further escalation in [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war.”
“The international community must condemn this blatant violation of international law and step up support for Ukraine,” Stoltenberg added.
The Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics (LPR and DPR) will hold a vote for unification with Russia on September 23-27, their leaders said on Tuesday morning. The Russian-held territories of the neighboring Zaporozhye and Kherson regions will also vote starting on Friday.
Why is it a sham as Stoltenberg has claimed? Holding referendums and giving everybody a vote is by definition democracy.
I thought the West is a big supporter of democracy? Or are they only a supporter of democracy when it suits their interests? If they were all for democracy, they’d be totally in favor of giving people a vote and letting them decide if they want to join Russia or not.
The West obviously won’t recognize the legitimacy of these referendums regardless of the outcome. Of course, that doesn’t really matter since the West itself is becoming increasingly less relevant on the world stage.
Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions to become part of Russia
Leonid Pasechnik, the head of the Luhansk People’s Republic, signed a law on a popular vote for the republic to become part of the Russian Federation. The document was published on the website of the head of the region.
“This law comes into force from the day of its official publication on the official website of the People’s Council of the Luhansk People’s Republic and/or the head of the Luhansk People’s Republic,” the text of the document says.
The referendum is the ultimate direct expression of the will of the residents of the region.
Earlier, deputies of the People’s Council of the LPR unanimously adopted a law on the referendum.
On September 19, the Public Chamber of the Luhansk People’s Republic turned to Leonid Pasechnik with an initiative to immediately hold a referendum on recognizing the republic as a subject of Russia. Joining Russia will secure the territory of the republic and guarantee return to peaceful life.
Experts believe that the Russian administration is getting ready for partial mobilisation in the country. At the same time, Russia wants to hold referendums on the accession of Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye (Zaporizhzhia) regions.
It is believed that the Russian administration has come to understand the need to fight till absolute victory or defeat.
According to most recent reports, the referendum in the Luhansk People’s Republic on joining the Russian Federation will be held on September 23-27.
The Donetsk People’s Republic has also will also schedule a referendum for September 23-27.
The referendum on the entry of the Kherson region into the Russian Federation will also be held on September 23-27.
Mandatory mobilization will not be conducted after the referendum in the Kherson region. Instead, the authorities will announce the recruitment of volunteer battalions, Kirill Stremousov, a representative of the pro-Russian administration of the Kherson region said.
Denis Pushilin, the head of the Donetsk People’s Republic said:
“The main time that we have envisaged for the referendum is the time to vote. The voting will be held outside polling stations to avoid mass gatherings of people and one day directly for those who would like to vote at polling stations. Security measures will be provided.”
Meanwhile, Vladimir Rogov, a representative of the pro-Russian administration of the Zoporozhye (Zaporizhzhia) region said that everything was ready in the Zaporozhye region for the referendum on joining Russia. The vote can take place in the coming days, he added.
The head of the DPR, Denis Pushili, addressed Vladimir Putin:
“I ask you to consider the issue of the Donetsk People’s Republic becoming part of the Russian Federation as soon as possible in the event of the positive outcome of the referendum, which we do not doubt. The long-suffering people of Donbas deserve to be part of the Great Country, which they always considered their Motherland. This event will restore historical justice, which millions of Russian people are anticipating.”
See more at https://english.pravda.ru/news/world/154043-donetsk_luhanks_kherson_referendum/
