New Sovereign Republics of Ukraine Want to Join Russia
Monday, May 12 was a rather eventful day in Eastern Europe and Russia. The day witnessed the birth of two self-proclaimed, “sovereign” republics – the People’s Republic of Donetsk and the People’s Republic of Luhansk. The new republics arose from eastern Ukraine where separatist groups claimed victory in the self-rule referendums.
According to the election bodies of the two new nations, close to 90 percent of the 70 percent people who turned up for voting in Donetsk and about 96 percent of the close to 75 percent people who turned up for voting in Luhansk voted in favor of separation from Ukraine. While Kyiv dismissed the referendums as illegitimate, the two new nations, Moscow came out saying it respected the will of the people of Luhansk and Donetsk. Within two hours of being declared an independent country, one of the two republics asked to join the Russian Federation.
New Republics could be independent, join each other or join Russia
The new republics hold the right to remain independent or choose further course of action and it didn’t take long for Donetsk’s People’s Republic to make the choice. Separatist leader Denis Pushilin took to the public on May 12, telling journalists that he would approach Moscow with the request of absorbing the self-proclaimed nation, which borders Russia. Doubt looms large over the actual course Moscow would take.
Leaders from the People’s Republic of Luhansk, on the other hand, proposed joining Donetsk to create the new republic of New Russia, “Novorossiya”. The leaders also said they were speculating whether or not another referendum could be staged, asking people directly if they wanted the new republics to join Russia.
Reactions from governments
Earlier, Kremlin, expressing support for the two neighboring nations, had said it would defend the will of the people in the two regions using Russian troops if the need arises. It has now urged Ukraine and the two republics of Donetsk and Luhansk to enter into a dialogue. In a press release, Kremlin said it was counting on a peaceful and civilized implementation of the result of the referendums, “through dialogue.”
The Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov declined from making any comments on the controversy surrounding the referendum. He said the high “voting activity” in the two neighboring states, despite immense pressure from Kyiv, was proof of people’s will. Lavrov also said only Russia was broadcasting the truth in real time on its channels – the Western news outlets were actively concealing the real causes.
Ukraine,on the other hand, was strict in condemning the voting. Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov called the referendum a “farce” and told the Ukrainian parliament that the referendum would have no legal outcomes, expect criminal cases against the organizers.