Moscow pledges protection to areas annexed by Russia
Russia has sought to defend its seven-month-old war at the UN, with foreign minister Sergei Lavrov saying regions of Ukraine where widely derided referendums were being held would be under Russia’s full protection if annexed by Moscow.
The referendums in four eastern Ukrainian regions, aimed at annexing territory Russia has taken by force since its invasion in February, entered a third day yesterday and the Russian parliament could move to formalise the annexation within days.
Ukraine and its Western allies have dismissed the referendums as a sham designed to justify an escalation of the war.
President Vladimir Putin last week ordered Russia’s first military mobilisation since World War 2, a move that triggered protests across the country and sent scores of military-age men fleeing, causing tailbacks at borders and sold-out flights from the country.
Russia’s two most senior lawmakers yesterday addressed a string of complaints about the mobilisation, ordering regional officials to get a handle on the situation and swiftly solve the “excesses” that have stoked public anger.
Addressing the UN General Assembly and the world’s media in New York, Lavrov attempted to justify Russia’s invasion of its neighbour, repeating Moscow’s claims that the elected government in Kyiv was illegitimately installed and filled with neo-Nazis.
Nearly three-quarters of states in the assembly voted to reprimand Russia and demand it withdraw its troops.
In a news conference after his speech, Lavrov said the regions where votes were under way would be under Moscow’s full protection if annexed by Russia.
Asked if Russia would have grounds for using nuclear weapons to defend the annexed regions, Lavrov said Russian territory, including territory “further enshrined” in Russia’s constitution in the future, “is under the full protection of the state”.
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, said Russia’s mentions of the possible use of nuclear weapons were unacceptable and Kyiv would not give into them.
The Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, might debate bills incorporating the Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine into Russia on Thursday, the state-run TASS news agency said on Saturday.
The Interfax agency quoted a source saying the upper house could consider the bill the same day, and RIA Novosti, also citing an unnamed source, said Putin could be preparing to make a formal address to an extraordinary joint session of both houses on Friday.
The votes on becoming part of Russia were hastily organised after Ukraine recaptured large swathes of the northeast in a counteroffensive this month.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the votes would be unequivocally condemned by the world.
Russia says the referendums were a chance for people in the regions to express their view.
Ukraine and Russia traded accusations of attacks on civilians yesterday, with Ukraine’s military saying Russia had launched dozens of missile attacks and air strikes on military and civilian targets in the past 24 hours.
Russia’s RIA state news agency reported that Ukrainian forces had bombed a hotel in Kherson, killing two.