The self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic and Donetsk People’s Republic announced that they will be holding a referendum between 23rd and 27th of September on the addition of their regions to the Russian Federation, as leaders of the self-proclaimed republics Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin announced on Tuesday, 20 September.
The Russian occupation administration in Kherson also announced plans to hold a referendum on the same dates.
Latvia’s Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš has already announced on social media that Latvia will not recognise the legitimacy of these referendums.
«Putin’s imperialistic ambitions are clear – destroying Ukraine’s independence and subject it to Russia’s direct influence. We must increase support for Ukraine until it wins,» he wrote.
Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Edgars Rinkēvičs also suggests the international society must supply more arms to Ukraine so that they can liberate their territories.
«Clearly Russia is moving forward with fake referendums within Ukraine’s occupied territories. The international society must condemn this step, impose more sanctions and supply Ukraine with more arms to let them liberate their territories,» said the minister.
The head of the Ukrainian president’s office Andrii Yermak calls the referendum a naive blackmail attempt.
«Naive blackmail and horror stories about referendums, mobilisation from those who can only fight against children and civilians. This is how fear of defeat looks like,» he wrote on his Telegram channel.
«The enemy is afraid and uses primitive manipulations. Ukraine will resolve the Russian issue. The only way to prevent a threat is by using force,» he added.
According to the head of the Luhansk Regional Military–Civil Administration Serhiy Haidai,
if Russia organises a pseudoreferendum, it will open the way for general mobilisation in Russia.
«They [Russians] can organise fake referendums, put something together sloppily, recognise results. And in accordance with these results they will want to join Russia,» he told Radio Freedom.
«And then the liberation of Ukraine’s occupied Luhansk region will be considered a direct attack on Russia from their perspective. This will allow them to announce general mobilisation and declare war,» Haidai explained.
«Because right now they have big problems with that [mobilisation]. They can’t accumulate a sufficient number of people.»
On Monday, 19 September, the government of Donetsk and Luhansk regions occupied by Russian forces invited immediately holding referendums on the addition of these regions to Russia’s territory.
Ukrainian army continues its counter-offensive in Kharkiv region.
Only several villages have been liberated in Luhansk so far, but Haidai believes the situation may change very soon.