Russia is on course despite massive international criticism Bogus referendums on the annexation of the occupied Ukrainian territories to. The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky reacted demonstratively calm to the announcement of referendums in the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions. There’s nothing new about that. “Our position does not change due to noise or any announcements,” he said in his video address on Tuesday. “We defend Ukraine, we liberate our country and above all we show no weakness.”
Zelensky will get the opportunity on Wednesday to present Ukraine’s position in the UN General Assembly to clarify. He will there activated via video. Russian President Vladimir Putin is in New York by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov represent. The escalation sought by Moscow in the war of aggression, which has been going on for almost seven months, is overshadowing the UN general debate, in which US President Joe Biden should speak. For Ukraine, Wednesday marks the 210th day of war since the start of the February 24 Russian invasion.
Ukraine receives solidarity addresses from many western partners
Selenski thanked for that unanimous condemnation of the Russian plans by many countries and organizations. “We have the full support of our partners,” he said in Kyiv. Among others, Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell have criticized the Moscow initiative. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) called the votes illegal and one Violation of international law of war.
Occupied territories ask Putin for help
The ones supported by Moscow Donetsk and Luhansk separatist regions as well as those conquered in war Donetsk and Zaporizhia regions plan from September 23rd to 27th referendums. They announced this on Tuesday. The contemporaneous Mock referendums without Ukraine’s consent and run without any control on a fast Connection to Russia out of here. They are seen as Moscow’s reaction to the successful Ukrainian counteroffensive in the east. In 2014, Russia annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, and with one internationally unrecognized referendum trying to substantiate.
As in a script for Putin’s appearance, they turned heads of administration of Donetsk and Kherson on Tuesday directly to the President in the Kremlin. They asked him to accession to Russia may endorse. “This event will restore historical justice,” said Donetsk separatist leader Denis Puschilin.
It is difficult to say how many people are in the parts of Ukraine controlled by Moscow. the population has been there since February due to death, flight or deportation to Russia been severely decimated. Despite the Ukrainian counter-offensives, Moscow is estimated to still hold more than one-sixth of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, occupied.
One annexation of the territories would mean for Moscow that it considers the possible recapture by Ukraine attack on their own territory could represent. This would also make it easier to get one in Russia Partial or general mobilization to announce. Quickly crammed Legislative changes in the Russian Parliament from Tuesday seem to point in this direction. However, Defense Committee Chairman Andrei Kartapalov denied that general mobilization was planned.
The media group RBK and the state broadcaster RT announced one for Tuesday evening Speech of Putin on, which was then not held. After several hours of waiting, RT boss Margarita Simonyan wrote on Telegram “Go to sleep!”. The TV propagandist Vladimir Solovyov wrote simply: “Tomorrow”.
US wants to help solve war crimes
The US wants Ukraine at the Solving Russian war crimes provide more help. US Attorney General Merrick Garland and Ukraine’s Attorney General Andri Kostin signed an agreement to this effect in Washington on Tuesday letter of intent.
The US wanted to help Kyiv identify, arrest and prosecute peopleinvolved in war crimes and other atrocities in Ukraine,” Garland said. It’s about the victims some measure of justice to provide, stressed Kostin.
As in the spring near the capital Kyiv, the Ukrainian authorities are now also after the liberation of the Kharkiv region found mass graves. Many of the corpses point to Ukrainian information Traces of a violent death on what the Suspicion of Russian war crimes suggests.
That will be important on Wednesday
The Ukrainian President Zelensky will not only address the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. He’s holding one too Address to representatives of the US defense industry – also via video switch. The US is for Ukraine main arms supplier. Defense Minister Olexi Reznikov is also scheduled to speak at the NDIA meeting.