October 06, 2022

From Offense to Defense


From Offense to Defense
Bringing things to the annex level. The Russian Life files

On September 30, Putin recognized the independence of Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and the separatist-held parts of Donetsk and Luhansk and installed four Moscow-backed leaders as the new heads of the regions, integrating them into Russia (as the Kremlin defines it). The signing was followed by a pop concert.

The referendum lasted five days. The documents signed on annexation are said to take into account "the will of the people" and to align with UN charters. Currently, the UN rejects this claim and the annexation has been decried throughout the world as a blatantly illegal act.

Prior to Putin signing his decree, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy convened an emergency meeting with his Security Council. According to Ukrainian Lt. Gen. Ihor Romanenko, Russia may use the annexation to create a more hostile environment to excuse the use of nuclear weapons: “If a territory is dubbed ‘Russian’ and a war is waged there, then [the Kremlin] can go all the way, use the weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear ones.”

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