A sham referendum is to be held this week in the self-proclaimed “People’s Republics” of Lugansk and Donetsk, officially parts of Ukraine in the east. It’s about joining Russia. But what does Vladimir Putin really need these areas for?
In Lugansk and Donetsk, people are to vote on September 23-27 whether they want to become part of the Russian Federation. Officially all entirely voluntarily, the Speaker of the Russian House of Commons Vyacheslav Volodin said: “If the residents of Donbass freely express themselves to be part of Russia, we will support them.” Politicians appointed by the Kremlin create a mood in the region and repeatedly present, for example, a newly built hospital, they ensure that schools are renovated – and Russian passports are generously distributed. People are simply bought, with apparent improvements.
Interest of Putin in Lugansk and Donetsk
dr Claudia Major heads the security policy research group at the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, she explains in the 366th episode of the podcast “Today Important” why these regions are so important for Putin’s warfare: “If you call it Russian territory, after such a pseudo referendum, then Russia could justify the use of nuclear weapons. We have to understand very clearly that this is about putting pressure on us and influencing our actions.” So if Ukraine later wants to recapture these parts of the country, then it would be a crime under Russian law, according to Security Council Chairman Dmitry Medvedev. That would then be “an intrusion into Russian territory”.
Reconquest of Ukrainian territories
“The offensive, which has been going on since September 6, is a very important turning point for me because it allowed Ukraine to take the initiative again, Ukraine is now determining what is happening. But it is not a war decision and it is not the end of the war either ” says Dr. Claudia Major, who also moderates the podcast “Ukraine – the situation”. But even if there is a ceasefire, many questions will arise, Major said in an interview with “Today Important” host Michel Abdollahi: “Is Ukraine a sovereign state? Does it have complete control over its territory? Can it decide their own foreign policy, i.e. whether they want to join the EU or NATO. Are the borders now final?”
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Source: Stern
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