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Russian forces occupy most of the Kherson region of southern Ukraine
Russia declared Luhansk and Donetsk as independent states before the war.
Putin has repeatedly expressed his intention to merge Ukraine and Belarus into Russia.
Kyiv, In the midst of the five-month-long Ukraine-Russia war, the President of Ukraine has placed a condition for talks with Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky clarified on Sunday that talks between the two countries would not be possible if Russia holds a referendum in the territories it controls.
According to a Reuters report, in his nightly video address, Zelensky said Kyiv would stick to its position of not giving Russia any of its territory. He made it clear to Russia that the situation in Ukraine remains as it has always been. “What is ours, we will not spare anything from it,” said Zelensky.
After previously occupying Ukraine’s Donbass region and southern regions, Russia may soon hold a referendum to include both regions in its country. After a long occupation of Crimea, Russia wants to include the Donbass in its country.
Russia’s move
Zelensky fears that if Russia annexes other regions of Ukraine, people may rebel against them. Indeed, Ukraine and Belarus want Vladimir Putin to join Russia. Putin has repeatedly expressed his intention to create a Soviet Union during the Cold War era.
Russian forces have captured most of the Kherson region of southern Ukraine. In the Donbass also, with the help of the rebels, Russia occupied a large part of the territory. Let us tell you that Russia has already declared Luhansk and Donetsk as independent territories. Now the governor of the Luhansk region has also clarified that preparations are underway for a new referendum in the newly occupied territories of Russia, which will be announced in the next few months.
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First published: August 08, 2022, 11:12 IST
