Putin Wins His Sham Referenda
(DailyVantage.com) – More than seven months ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded neighboring Ukraine in what critics have deemed a total failure, according to a US official. Yet, he persists in his battle to bring Ukraine under the Kremlin’s rule. He recently ordered a partial mobilization, calling up to 300,000 reservists to the front lines. Additionally, in his efforts to annex land, the invading leader held referendum votes in four Ukrainian regions from September 23-27, and, to nobody’s surprise, they all voted in favor of joining the Russian Federation.
Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson remain under Russian occupation. During the voting period, videos surfaced allegedly showing armed invading troops walking through areas with ballot boxes and showing people voting while troops looked on.
Soldiers go door-to-door for votes in Ukraine 'referendums' https://t.co/Q0HwU4Ppdx
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) September 24, 2022
According to the results, 99.23% of Donetsk voters affirmed their desire to join, while Luhansk voters were 98.42% in favor of joining the Russian Federation. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia came in at 87.05% and 93.11% favorable, respectively.
Predictably, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was anything but happy. He said Russia’s actions mean there’s no chance of diplomacy. President Joe Biden called the move a “sham,” while NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said they were a “blatant violation of international law.”
Just spoke with President @ZelenskyyUa & made clear that #NATO Allies are unwavering in our support for #Ukraine’s sovereignty & right to self-defence. The sham referenda held by #Russia have no legitimacy & are a blatant violation of international law. These lands are Ukraine.
— Jens Stoltenberg (@jensstoltenberg) September 27, 2022
According to Kyiv officials, these referenda change nothing. Ukraine will continue to fight the battle to save its country and its people.
Copyright 2022, DailyVantage.com
