The separatist leaders of four Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine have said they are planning to hold votes to become part of Russia as Moscow loses ground in the war it launched.
Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia are the four regions. The announcements of referendums starting on Friday came after a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin said they were needed.
The votes may pave the way for Moscow to intensify the conflict
Dmitry Medvedev, a former president of Russia, claimed that incorporating the eastern Ukrainian cities of Luhansk and Donetsk into Russia would render the country’s newly established borders “irreversible” and give Moscow the right to defend them with “any means.”
The majority of these votes would undoubtedly favor Moscow, but they would not be accepted by western governments. The votes may pave the way for Moscow to intensify the conflict as Ukrainian soldiers fight to retake territory they’ve already lost. According to Denis Pushilin, the governor of the Donetsk region, “the long-suffering people of the Donbas have earned the right to be part of the magnificent country that they always regarded their motherland.” He continued by saying that the vote will assist in “restoring historic justice that millions of Russians were waiting for.”
Russia’s stance
The Kremlin declared on Tuesday that there are no chances for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine and supported moves to hastily annexe already-captured territory. If Ukrainian forces attempt to retake the territories, such a move might pave the way for Moscow to escalate the conflict.
Pressure within Russia and from Moscow-backed leaders in Luhansk and Donetsk for regional votes that would pave their way to becoming fully Russian has increased in the wake of a Ukrainian counteroffensive — bolstered by Western-supplied weaponry — that is wresting back large areas of previously Russian-occupied territory.