Russian Referendums labeled as “shams” have suggested that Ukrainians are in favor of Russia and set up a pretext for annexation.
Eight months since Russia invaded Ukraine, their successes have been few. At the time of publishing, the conflict had been at a standstill. Unable to get any closer to the capital of Kiev and increase their influence among the Ukranians. A desperate Putin and Russia resorted to a referendum. It was appointed that in the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where the Russian military has taken control, an overwhelming majority of people voted for annexation. The polls, which indicated a 99% majority in some cases, were condemned by Ukranians and internationally as fraudulent, with reports of incorrect counts and threats to those voting. In turn, these numbers were used to defend the annexation of these territories by Russia, which has already been put in place despite backlash.
Referendums and plebiscites have long been used in democracies to decide key issues with direct input from the people, settling divisive decisions with the results. Ukraine’s own independence was decided on by a plebiscite. The current situation in the East-Ukrainian region has been called out by Western news sources as a manipulation and an example of a state ignoring and faking support from activists.
Activists in Ukraine, for the past months of the war, have been vocal. Reaching for international support and attempting to expose their versions of the events that are happening. In this, war crimes committed by Russia have been uncovered and repudiated globally. Activists have campaigned seeking international funding and recognition of the state of the lives of average Ukranians, and Russian military controlled regions are in pandemonium as citizens flee.
Regardless, officials of the Russian Federation have signed to officially annex the aforementioned regions. Despite not having recognition from international institutions and bodies, Russia insists the regions represent a huge victory and that the future holds further advancements of the same nature for Putin and his allies.
Within these territories there have been imposed border control to avoid citizens from fleeing, in Zaporizhzhia there has been a massive exodus as people fled the Russian-held region. In order to avoid this, there have been reports of excessive documentation being necessary to cross the border and people being held back in public transport.
These policies were condemned, without success, by the UN. US President Joe Biden called the referendums “shams” and asked that the international community repute the threat to Ukrainian sovereignty.
EAC PRESS 