Russia is planning to split Ukraine to create a “North and South Korea” the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence has warned, vowing it would be met with guerrilla warfare in retaliation.
Kyrylo Budanov, said on Sunday Russia was trying to create a Moscow-controlled region, having failed to take over the whole of the country.
“In fact, it is an attempt to create North and South Korea in Ukraine,” he said in a statement, referring to the division of Korea after World War Two, predicting a strong fightback from Ukrainian forces.
“In addition, the season of a total Ukrainian guerrilla safari will soon begin. Then there will be one relevant scenario left for the Russians, how to survive,” he said.
The leader of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic, Leonid Pasechnik, said a referendum on joining Russia could happen in the near future.
Mr Pasechnik was reported as saying a vote could be held soon in which people in the territory would be able to “exercise their absolute constitutional right” and give their opinion on joining Russia.
“For some reason, I am sure that this will be the case,” he reportedly said.
“[Residents of the Luhansk People’s Republic] with one hope and dream in their hearts – to become part of the Russian Federation, to return, as they said in Crimea, to their native harbour and finally start working for one big, bright future,” he said.
However Russian politician Leonid Kalashnikov later said the Duma believed now was not the right time for a referendum to be held.
Mr Kalashnikov, who is the head of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, said it was not necessary to consider the question while the fate at the front was still being determined, the Russian news agency Tass reported.
Ukraine said on Sunday that Russia holding a referendum in occupied Ukrainian territory would have no legal basis and would face a strong response from the international community, deepening its global isolation.
Oleg Nikolenko, Ukraine’s foreign ministry spokesperson said “all fake referendums in the temporarily occupied territories are null and void and will have no legal validity.
“Instead, Russia will facе an even stronger response from the international community, further deepening its global isolation.”
Ahead of launching his invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Vladimir Putin signed decrees recognising the Luhansk People’s Republic and the Donetsk People’s Republic as independent, paving the way for the invasion to be framed as a ‘liberation’ of the territories in a false-flag operation.
Pro-Russian separatists have been fighting Ukrainian forces in the region since 2014, shortly after Moscow’s annexation of Crimea.
On Friday, Moscow signalled a scaling down of ambitions in Ukraine, claiming that the “special military operation” would now focus on the “main goal, liberation of Donbas” in an apparent concession that occupation of Ukraine is not possible.
After more than four weeks of conflict, Russia has failed to seize any major Ukrainian city.
During talks, Moscow has urged Ukraine to recognise the independence of Luhansk and Donetsk, as well as Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea.
In a previous referendum, Crimeans voted to join Russia in a referendum that was regarded as illegal by the European Union and US.
CuriousSpike on March 27th, 2022 at 16:38 UTC »
East and West Germany is a far better analogy.
Antti_____ on March 27th, 2022 at 14:46 UTC »
There is big problem with this. We absolutely hate russian occupiers & want them to fuck off from our lands
TCHU9115 on March 27th, 2022 at 14:12 UTC »
Right, why have a peaceful unified country on your borders when you could have 2 countries fractured by violence?