Turchak: Donbass is Russian territory, referendums will be held

Secretary of the General Council of United Russia Andrey Turchak declaredthat the Donetsk and Luhansk republics are Russian territories, referendums on their entry into the Russian Federation will be held. Mr. Turchak did not specify the timing of the popular vote.

“The referendum will take place, and there should be no doubt for anyone: these territories are regions of the Russian Federation. And they have the right to be included in the people’s program of United Russia,” the Secretary of the General Council said before a meeting of the working group to prepare changes to the people’s program.

Also, before the meeting, Andrei Turchak proposed to extend the work of the United Russia people’s program to the DPR and LPR and form a budget for the republics for 2023-2025.

Today Vedomosti, citing five sources close to the Kremlin, wrote about the low likelihood of holding referendums on September 11, the single voting day in Russia. Dates will be set in accordance with the results of the special operation. Yesterday, August 24, the head of the DPR Denis Pushilin declared on the readiness to hold a referendum after the troops reach the administrative borders of the republic.

Earlier, the Donetsk and Luhansk republics, as well as the pro-Russian authorities in the Kherson, Kharkiv and Zaporozhye regions of Ukraine, announced plans to hold referendums on joining Russia. The President of Ukraine refused in advance to recognize the results of voting in the territories not controlled by Kyiv. He also promised that Kyiv would refuse to negotiate peace with Moscow if such plebiscites take place. The US called the possible referendums “annexation”.

Read more about referendums in the material “Forewarned means disarmed”.

Polina Sobakina