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"Pseudo-referendum" in southern Ukraine: does Russia want to repeat Crimea history?

2022-04-25T10:52:25.509Z


Crimea 2.0? Putin is apparently planning a "pseudo-referendum" in southern Ukraine Created: 04/25/2022, 12:43 p.m By: Andreas Schmid A Ukrainian soldier stands next to a destroyed school near Kherson in early April. © BULENT KILIC/AFP Does 2014 repeat itself? As in Crimea, Russia is also to press ahead with a referendum in southern Ukraine. Selenskyj's allegations are loud, Moscow denies. Che


Crimea 2.0?

Putin is apparently planning a "pseudo-referendum" in southern Ukraine

Created: 04/25/2022, 12:43 p.m

By: Andreas Schmid

A Ukrainian soldier stands next to a destroyed school near Kherson in early April.

© BULENT KILIC/AFP

Does 2014 repeat itself?

As in Crimea, Russia is also to press ahead with a referendum in southern Ukraine.

Selenskyj's allegations are loud, Moscow denies.

Cherson - Russia's focus in the Ukraine war is primarily on eastern Ukraine.

Where the Ukraine conflict has been smoldering since 2014, there is still fierce fighting eight years after the annexation of Crimea.

In addition to the eastern Ukrainian Donbass region, Russia also has the south of the country in mind.

On Friday (April 22), a Russian commander announced the entire south as a target for conquest.

The focus is on the city of Cherson.

It has almost 300,000 inhabitants and was the first major city to be occupied by Russian troops at the beginning of the war.

In recent weeks, the town has been the target of repeated rocket attacks.

The Russian military recently announced that it had taken the entire Cherson region, and Ukraine reported that individual areas had been recaptured.

If Cherson falls, it could change the effects of the war significantly.

Ukraine war: "People's Republic of Cherson" modeled on Crimea?

Ukraine fears that independence from Ukraine could also be declared in Cherson, as in Donbass.

There are indications that Russia could create a scenario similar to that of the "Luhansk and Donzek People's Republics" recognized by Russia.

There are already comparisons to 2014. According to Ukrainian information, Russia is planning a referendum based on the model of the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Moscow after a questionable referendum in 2014.

The areas in eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian separatists also declared their independence after controversial votes.

Referendum on the status of Crimea

In March 2014, more than 95 percent of the Crimean population voted to join Russia.

The USA and the EU do not recognize the result and speak of a vote that violates international law.

Background: Only two options were put to the vote: either annexing Crimea to Russia or restoring the 1992 constitution with Crimea as part of Ukraine.

Retaining the status quo – i.e. remaining as an autonomous republic within Ukraine – was not up for vote.

Ukraine War: "Pseudo-Referendum" in Kherson?

Kyiv accuses Moscow of planning a “pseudo-referendum” on the creation of a “Kherson People's Republic”.

The British Ministry of Defense assumes a similar scenario.

According to a recent report: “Russia is planning a referendum in the southern city of Kherson to justify its occupation.

The city is key to Russia's goal of building a land bridge to Crimea and dominating southern Ukraine.”

Ukraine war: Selenskyj accuses Russia of fake referendum - Moscow denies

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of trying to falsify a possible independence referendum.

In a video message on Thursday evening (April 21, 2022), Zelenskyy called on residents of the occupied territories in Cherson, among other places, not to provide any personal data such as passport numbers that the Russian armed forces would ask of them.

Leaflets with corresponding appeals are said to have appeared in Cherson.

"It's not just about doing a census," he warned.

"It's not about sending you humanitarian aid of any kind.

It is really about faking a so-called referendum on your country when the order to carry out this comedy comes from Moscow,” said the Ukrainian President.

“There will be no People's Republic of Kherson.

If someone wants another annexation, even stronger sanctions will hit Russia,” Zelenskyy threatened.

The Russian Foreign Ministry denied any referendum rumors on Monday (April 25, 2022).

"I haven't heard anything about that," Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said at a press conference.

(as with AFP)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-04-25

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