Russiaʼs reported pseudo-referendums in the occupied territories will make any peace negotiations impossible.
President Volodymyr Zelensky stated this in his speech.
"The position of our state remains as it was before: we will not give anything of ours, and if the occupiers follow the path of these pseudo-referendums, they will close for themselves any possibility of negotiations with Ukraine and the free world, which the Russian side will definitely need in a certain moment," said the head of state.
Zelensky also threatened responsibility for all those who will help the occupiers in the preparation and holding of the referendum.
- The day before, the city council of Kherson reported that the occupiers had launched active preparations for a pseudo-referendum for joining Kherson oblast to Russia and were "training" the local population.
- In July, the mass media reported that Russia was in a hurry to hold "referendums" on the annexation of the occupied territories of Ukraine by mid-September. They want to hold them until September 15 so that then Putin can join them to Russia.
- The SBU reported that it had exposed Russiaʼs plans to join the occupied regions of Ukraine. To carry out the so-called demonstration of will, the occupiers plan to use a pro-Russian organization called the "Donetsk Republic". Previously, it operated only in the "DNR", but now the geography of its activities is being expanded, and the name will be changed — the most likely option is "Greater Russia".
- In August, the SBU intercepted the occupiersʼ documents about the "referendum" in Kherson oblast. Pickets and 20 "election commissions" are planned there.