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Russia’s unification with new regions will force NATO to reconsider its level of involvement.
Written by Ahmed Adel, Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher
Recently held referendums in the republics of Donetsk and Lugansk and in Zaporozhye and Kherson oblasts will affect the military operation in Ukraine as, besides the high degree of support for accession, any attack by the US or NATO on these territories would be a direct attack on the Russian Federation. Any Western attack against the new Russian territories could be considered a declaration of war and unleash an open conflagration, something that the US and its NATO allies are unlikely wanting to directly engage in.
The referendum, in this sense, has been a political instrument of great importance since it has allowed the Donbass region, the ancestral territory of the Cossacks, to return to Russia. The result of the elections was expected because historically the regions of the Don River basin have deep Slavic roots, speak the Russian language and profess the Orthodox Christian religion. It was only after the founding of the Soviet Union in 1922 that Moscow ceded those territories to Ukraine.
In addition, the annexation of these regions is a strategic step in the current confrontation between Russia and Ukraine. This is especially the case as a harsh winter is approaching and the political and energy crises in the European Union is seemingly leading to an economic recession.
According to official statistics, with 100% of the ballots counted, 99.23% of Donetsk voters voted in favour of joining Russia, and 98.42% of the Luhansk electorate also voted yes. In Zaporozhye, the yes vote received 93.11%, while the Kherson oblast was the only one with less than 90% of the votes favourable to joining Russia, with a massive 87.05% none-the-less.
These territories called for a referendum, considering them necessary for the “defence against terrorist acts” perpetrated by the Ukrainian government and the NATO members which supplies them. In turn, several countries and international organisations condemned the holding of the votes and made it clear that they will not recognize their results.
During all the days of voting, the Ukrainian military bombed the regions to try and prevent people from participating in the referendum. The authorities of these regions assure that with their integration into Russia, security will be guaranteed and a historical justice restored. They also stressed that it was necessary to take such a decision due to the permanent attacks by the nationalist regime in Kiev.
Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia will support the decision made by the inhabitants of Donbass, Zaporozhye and Kherson. The US, the EU, the OSCE and other countries and international organisations described the call as illegal, made it clear that they will not recognize the results and threatened new sanctions packages.
This comes as Russia’s ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, warned that the US and other “sponsors of Ukrainian neo-Nazi criminals” are approaching a red line by allowing Western weapons to be used to attack Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson.
“The sponsors of neo-Nazi criminals are approaching that dangerous line of which we clearly warned repeatedly. The United States becomes a party to the Ukrainian conflict,” the ambassador said in a statement.
Antonov warned that Washington is encouraging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to continue attacking with the weapons that NATO countries have sent without measuring the consequences.
“Diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful solution to the crisis cannot be effective as long as Western countries use the Zelensky regime as a mercenary against Russia,” he stressed, adding that Russia’s defensive response will be forceful.
Earlier, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured that the White House was not going to prevent Zelensky from attacking Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson with US weapons after these entities become a part of Russian territory. The US also announced that it will impose a raft of new sanctions against Russia, which is already the world’s most sanctioned country.
The European Union also seems poised to adopt new sanctions on Russia, though some EU members are questioning existing restrictions as economic pain is already hurting Europe more than Russia. The Biden administration, for its part, is looking to target government-linked Russian financial institutions, including the Russian Deposit Insurance Agency, which is intended to protect Russians bank accounts, and the National Payment Card System, or Mir, an electronic funds-transfer system.
However, further sanctions and encouraging Ukraine to continue attacking Russia’s new regions will not lead to a reversal of the reality on the ground – Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson will soon be integral parts of the Russian Federation. With some of these regions still under Ukrainian occupation, it now appears that Moscow has a clear end-game to its military operation in Ukraine, the full liberation of these territories from Ukraine.
ukraine was part of the soviet union and it was a mistake but the breakup was not expected,and not all in those regions are religious its not synonymous that some are communists and atheists
If to speak about religion, ancient state of Rus’ was baptized in Kiev in 988th. Duke Vladimir was baptized in Chersones in Crimea a bit before. It was the city with greek population, now it’s inside city borders of Sevastopol’ (or Sebastopolis in greek manner) and known as archaeological park Tauric Chersones, because there is another city with same name — Cherson. Cherson is ~200 years old as other cities with greek names on Black and Azov sea shores. Yekaterina II the Great populated these area. Greek names were chosen to remind heritage of orthodox East Roman empire, because Russia has become the Third Rome, new center of Orthodox Christianity after falling of Constantinople (the Second Rome). It was uninhabited place since 13th century, when mongols invaded Rus’, until the end of 18th century, because one of the Mongol empire remnants, Crimean Horde, was stealing people to sell in Osmanian (Ottoman) empire, in Genoa and other places. Suvorov defeated crimeans and turks to build new cities from Dnestr river at west to Caucasus at east. This land was named Novorossia, New Russia, there was no Ukraine. Land to the north was known as Minor Russia, Malorossia (core Russia), same as Minor Poland (Malopolska) with center in Krakov — ancient capital of Poland. There is still town of Rava Russkaya (Russian Rava) at the border of Poland and the Ukraine. There is nothing ukrainian, except nazism, it’s artificial identity like hobbits or smurfs, but aggressive.
No mention of Khazaria, which is the same region, an from the same period. i.e. 9th – 10th century.
Khazaria was a bit further east.
From Dnepr to Caucasus mountains. Kiev was tributary city of hazars before it was taken by Ryurik’s warlords Askold and Dir in second half of 9th century. Hazaria was populated by turkic tribes who came from Caucasus, their leaders accepted judaism via dynastic marriages while majority of hazars still followed pagan cult of Tengri (spirit of sky). It was completely destroyed by duke Svyatoslav (last pagan duke of ancient Rus’) in 10th century, because they were doing the same thing as Crimean Horde later. But crimean tatars weren’t genocided, their nobility saved their titles and privileges.
Yes, and Khazaria was a den of thieves in the 9th-10th century.
Nothing has changed except the fact that their thieving is global now.
I’m not going to read your book. Why even bother playing the history game?
Ukraine TODAY is a corrupt Jewish shithole.
Fuck Ukraine. Fuck NATO.
Zа победу.
Ukrainians are sick and tired of Russian arrogant imperialistic chauvinism. They really want to cut ties to that country of despotism and shitty way of living (dirty, corruption, lack of indoor toilets, bad hygiene…)
This is unfortunate that USA does not just recognize these new territories as part of Russia. Because the only way these territories will be part of Russia is if USA says so. We have to come to terms that USA dictates what happens in the World as it is the worlds power.
It seems now that USA will just punish Russia and these territories with even more sanctions which it seems Russia is not able to take.
The USA is not that important anymore. We now live in a multipolar world. So F-UCK you and FUC-K the USA.
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Sanction? What is it?
A rebranding of the good old british blocade policy. They loved to use blockades against colonies and enemies to cause starvation.
If was allways considred an act of war until in the 90s somhow the US were able to persuade the planet that a blockade if called sanction is not an act of war.
I’m not a loser. Nobody sucks more cocks than me. So I’m a winner.
Russia is preparing for a winter offensive to fully liberate its rightful territory from Ukraine. Then they should make peace.
Russians talking about “to liberate” is just pathetic nonsense. Nobody in Europe wants to be “liberated” by Rooskies.
Zelensky to Sibiria first, though
Russians are unreliable. They cannot defend those territories.
Russia, we are with you. You are bringing us hope in this world infested by liberal and libertarian “values”. Many of us are ready to join you in your fight. Vstavay, strana ogromnaya, vstavay na smertnyj boj. My vsegda budem s taboj.
Russia – we are not with you. What Russians need is not military rhetoric and imperialism but free speech and millions of indoor toilets and better hygiene for ordinary people.
Maybe you should get control of your own country first before worrying about the US and Russia.
When Russia wins, my country, like many others, be it in Europe or elsewhere, will be liberated as well.
Bear cubs go to mom
kill that fucking nazis!!!!
Yea, you can shit on the last remaining sanctions…
I’ve seen life in several European big cities and towns during last 6 months and I can witness that there is no panic and desperation in EU because Russian energy. Economy is steadily growing. In fact optimism of Europeans is stunning those Russians who are now living in EU area. It’s Russia itself seeing crisis.
You need to be locked in a mental ward. Your masters have been saying Europe economy is crumbling. You’re not a very good dog. This winter the European people will exorcise you then skin you.
Awesome. Going home at last
There is no need to hurry. Take one region at a time. Every day, every month, the clock is ticking for Europe and the money is flying out the window for the US. The European energy and financial crisis is building internal pressure and making it crack. With the collapse of the EU block in the winter, the US will be seriously under pressure to relief Europe and that’s even more money out the window. The US is in recession and overspending to compete in the chip industry with China, to save the economy and support Ukraine. Everyone is on the US shoulder and it’s going down.
What a F3cking joke the US and EU politicians are. They won’t recognize the referendums held in these four regions yet they proclaim the self-professed lunatic president of Venezuela Guaido as the legitimate president of Venezuela even though Maduro was elected by tens of millions of voters. They invade and bomb Yugoslavia with the excuse that there was ETHNIC CLEANSING being carried out by the government of former Yugoslavia meanwhile when the Kiev Nazis ethnic cleanse the Russian east Ukrainians they turn a blind eye. Inversion of the truth is exactly what Putin proclaimed on the eve of the Special Military Operation when he called the US empire the empire of lies. Its refreshing to have a politician like Putin who speaks the undeniable truth and its even more rewarding watching the EU and the US proxy army in Ukraine being dealt a resounding defeat albeit at the very sad and terrible loss of many tens of thousands of Ukrainian souls. My deepest condolences to their families for how could anybody pass severe judgement on these Ukrainian men? They are mostly not given a choice, its either run forward to the front line or get shot in the back by Azov militants in which case their families receive no pension or benefits. In Ukraine the law states that a Ukrainian soldier’s family receives pension and benefits only if the husband is killed on the battlefield, otherwise they get nothing. Terrible what is happening to the Ukrainians. Do not harbor hatred for these men instead understand the desperate situation they are in. Slava Russiya.
There’s talk in some Russian media that the accession of the four territories will be delayed further.
This would be a catastrophic error and would effectively let down the millions of people who voted and have put their trust in Russia.
The accession of the four territories must take place next week at the latest.
Patrick Lancaster has been providing excellent coverage of the referendums. You can tell that the excitement and joy is palpable for the Russian people of the Donbass. This has been a long 8+ years of hell to finally be able to vote to join their motherland. Fuck Zelensky and the west. They can whine and make threats all the want, but the fact is that the DPR and LPR will be joining the Russian Federation. So will the other two regions that held referendums.
Offer the referendum to Canadians, I bet they’d rather have Putin than Castro as their leader, with the exception of the French facists and the Ukronazi in Northern Winnipeg and Alberta.