© Sputnik / Konstantin Mikhalchevsky
Referendums to join the Russian Federation will be held in the Lugansk and Donetsk People's Republics (LPR and DPR)
from September 23 to 27, the leaders of the states announced on Tuesday.
LPR head Leonid Pasechnik was the first to sign a law on "holding a public referendum in the republic on the inclusion of the region into the Russian Federation," after its parliament unanimously supported the move and set a date for the vote.
The LPR's decision was soon followed by DPR leader Denis Pushilin, who declared that his state would also be holding a similar referendum on the same date. Pushilin said he had already introduced the relevant legislation in the DPR's parliament.
Russia recognised the two territories as independent in February, but most of the world still regards them as part of Ukraine. However, Kiev lost de facto control of both in 2014, when the local populations rejected the outcome of the Western-backed Maidan coup.
In a letter addressed to the Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pushilin urged the latter to consider incorporating the DPR in the territory of the Russian Federation if people approve the unification during the plebiscite.
Comment: Few expected the referendums to come so quickly. The recent Ukrainian counter-offensive seems to have pushed up the schedule. In other words, welcome to Russia, DPR and LPR.
The State Duma Speaker, Vyacheslav Volodin, stated that Moscow would
respect the decision.
During a plenary session of the State Duma, Volodin stated: "if in the course of a direct declaration of will they say they want to be part of Russia, we will support them." He added that the people of Donbass "must understand today that we expect them to freely express their will."
Kherson and Zaporozhye have also confirmed they will be holding referendums on the same dates.
The Deputy leader of the Kherson military-civilian administration, Kirill Stremousov, stated that residents want to join the Russian Federation as soon as possible because they fear being left behind, and want "guarantees" that Moscow will protect them from Kiev's forces.
Ex-president Medvedev, who has recently rebranded himself as less of a liberal and more of a firebrand Russian nationalist,
commented:
Donbass referendums on joining Russia will be of "great importance" for the "systemic defense" of the local population, former Russian president and deputy head of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev has said.
"An encroachment on Russian territory is a crime," Medvedev wrote in a Telegram post, adding that Moscow would not hesitate to do anything necessary for "self-defense."
According to Medvedev, such developments would make the "geopolitical transformation [of] the world irreversible." The former president also said he believes that, after the relevant changes are introduced to the Russian Constitution, no Russian leader or official would be able to roll them back.
"That is why these referendums are so much feared in Kiev and in the West," Medvedev added. His statement came early on Tuesday before the leaders of the Donbass republics announced that both would hold votes between September 23 and 27.
Comment: Unsurprising, really. And, just in the last week, similar sentiment was expressed over in the UK : King Charles cheered, and booed, on visit to Wales