The Kremlin has decided to postpone official annexation of Ukrainian territories
The Kremlin decided not to rush with the official "annexation" of the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, and the occupied territories of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, reports Meduza, citing sources in the Kremlin.
Earlier, State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin announced that meetings on the "annexation" of Ukrainian territories will be held on October 3 and 4.
"Volodin, as always, was ready to run ahead of the traing and get ahead of the agenda, when there was no clear decision on the dates of the final "accession"," explained one of the sources close to Putin’s administration. His words were confirmed by another interlocutor close to the Kremlin.
According to them, the Kremlin decided "not to rush things" when "circumstances do not require it." "Everything will be annexed anyway. Only without haste, "- the interlocutors of Meduza explained the tactics of the Russian authorities.
According to them, Moscow is not in a hurry with the "annexation" of Ukrainian territories, since "the PR effect of this will be almost zero" amid the ongoing mobilization. According to sources, the Kremlin understands that so far, the Russians have not been convinced that Russia needs these territories.
Although the state and pro-government media tried to prove that Russia annexes economically successful regions and holding such "referendums" and "annexations" is an absolutely "normal process", including for Western countries, mentioning the accession of Texas to the United States in the first half of the XIX century.
At the same time, one of Meduza's sources close to the Kremlin noted that perhaps the delay in the official "annexation" of the territories is because the Russian authorities want to "leave a door" for negotiations on Ukraine with Western countries.
"Putin believes that there is nothing to talk about with (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky – he is under control (from the West). (The Kremlin) may propose to leave Crimea, the territories of the DPR and LPR within the actual borders for Russia. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions can become Russian-recognized states, where Russian troops are deployed. This is an acceptable (for the Russian authorities) scenario," the source says.
Despite this, according to sources, Russian political parties are already preparing to open branches in the occupied territories.
However, according to the newspaper, the main problem for the Kremlin now remains the discontent of Russians with mobilization. According to interlocutors close to the Presidential administration, a closed opinion poll on this topic was already conducted at the request of the Kremlin. The authorities did not like its results. "All (Russians) are shaken," one of the sources explained.