Kremlin falsely denies involvement in organising "referendums" on incorporating occupied Ukrainian territories into Russia
UKRAINSKA PRAVDA – MONDAY, 8 AUGUST 2022, 13:34
Dmitriy Peskov, press secretary for the Russian President, has falsely claimed that Russian occupation authorities are not involved in organising the so-called "referendums" in the occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts of Ukraine. Instad, Peskov has said that the referendums are organised by the local residents. He has also said that the Kremlin sees no grounds for resuming negotiations with Ukraine.
Source: Russia-sponsored media: TASS, RIA Novosti, Mayak
Quote from Peskov: "It is the local residents of these regions [i.e., the Russian-occupied territories of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts - ed.] who have devised these plans [holding the pseudo-referendums - ed.]. We are not the ones holding these referendums. It’s unclear who Mr Zelenskyy was targeting with his statement [referring to Zelenskyy’s statement that Russian referendums will foreclose the possibility of future negotiations between the two countries - ed.]."
Details: According to the Kremlin, a significant share of the residents of the occupied territories of Ukraine have no desire to live in Ukraine. Therefore, the Russian government has nothing to do with the "referendums", Peskov claimed.
In addition, Peskov said that there are currently no grounds for a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The negotiations between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations have also stalled – according to the Kremlin, this is because the Ukrainian delegation "went off the radar".
Background:
- On 7 August, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that if Russia holds its so-called referendums in the occupied territories of southern Ukraine, it will foreclose the possibility of future negotiations with Ukraine.
- In July, the Russians conducted a poll in the occupied territories of Kherson and Zaporizhzhian oblasts regarding joining Russia; support for this idea amounted to only 30%. Russian propaganda efforts have not yet yielded significant results, and there is little support for Russia in the occupied territories of Ukraine.
Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda!
