A referendum on the annexation of Donbass to Russia will be held in late autumn

Alexander Chalenko, political observer

In late autumn, the integration of the two Novorossiysk republics of the DPR and LPR into Russia will reach a new qualitative level: it is expected that a month after the local elections, the authorities of New Russia will hold a referendum on which the issue of joining the DPR and LPR to the Russian Federation will be raised.

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This was reported by a source surrounded by the head of the Donetsk Republic, Alexander Zakharchenko.

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“It was previously stated that local elections in the DPR would be held sometime in the early second half of October, and in the LPR – in early November. So consider it. It turns out that the referendum should be expected in the DPR in the second half of November, and in the LPR in early December.

True, the elections are only declared, but not scheduled. Kiev is not going to recognize them, and therefore is not going to amend the necessary election laws. But there is a chance that these elections can be recognized by the OSCE, which cannot but understand all the tricks and tricks of Kiev, so they should be held. And they will be held.

So, a month after the local elections the referendum will be held,” the interlocutor said.

I think no one doubts what turnout and what the outcome of such a referendum will be. Personally, I assume that over 90% of the citizens of the DPR and LPR will vote for joining Russia.

I have repeatedly had to write and say that the people of Donbass do not want the "independence" of the DNI and LC, not the "independence" of New Russia, but precisely the incorporation of these historical Russian territories into the Russian Federation. I personally cannot doubt it, since during the year during my business trips to the Donbass I repeatedly talked with those who are called ordinary people, and all of them, first of all, were interested in only one, the main question for them: when Russia we will take in itself?

Donbass rose in the spring of 2014, not only because it protested against the coup in February 2014, but also because it wanted for itself a repetition of the Crimean scenario. So just putting such a question to a referendum will fundamentally change the mood and psychological state of people in the Donbass, as it will more clearly indicate the geopolitical perspective of Donbass and its geopolitical goal.

This will immediately give even greater meaning to the struggle of the DPR and LPR. The referendum will emphasize that such terrible victims were not in vain. Indeed, almost no one after what happened during these one and a half years does not want to return to Ukraine.

So, after making a decision on issuing Russian passports to the residents of Donetsk and Lugansk, following the establishment of economic cooperation along the Novorossiya-South Ossetia-Russia chain, following the introduction of the Russian ruble as a payment unit, this referendum will become a clear statement by the DPR and LPR authorities on what they want.

Skeptics may object to me that you should not be very happy. In 2006, a similar referendum was held in Transnistria, and what, after it, the PMR became part of Russia? Not! So why wait for something else from this referendum ?!

Of course, there is a rational grain in such skepticism. But ... there is still a fundamental difference: Donbass, unlike Transnistria, has a common border with Russia. At any moment, with a more or less favorable combination of circumstances, Russia, as in the case of the Crimea, can give its nod to reunification with the Donbass.

The referendum will thus also be another blow to the positions of Russian whiners and other rifle intelligentsia, which continues to carry nonsense that Moscow is "merging New Russia".