US intelligence confirms that Russia plans to annex Ukraine’s territory that it controls in violation of the country’s sovereignty.
“There’s abundant evidence of Russia plans to annex additional Ukrainian land”, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
Moscow is “beginning to roll out a version of what you could call an annexation playbook, which Russia used eight years ago when Ukraine and Crimea were annexed,” a senior State Department official told Channel 2.
“The Russian government is reviewing a detailed set of plans to annex some regions in Ukraine, including Kherson, Zaporozhja, all of Donetsk and Luhansk,” said Kirby.
Russia is already installing ilegitimate proxy officials in the areas of Ukraine under its control. These officials will arrange “sham referendums on joining Russia.” Kirby also said that Moscow will then use the “sham referendums as a basis to try to claim annexation of sovereign Ukrainian territory.”
It is not known when or if the referenda will occur, but it may happen later this year in conjunction with the September regionals. American-supported referenda in Russian occupied Ukraine on Wednesday appeared to violate Moscow’s promise of a “peaceful resolution” to the conflict.
So, to set the conditions in order to make these moves, Kirby stated that Russia is attempting to establish the ruble as the default currency across its controlled areas, sources of civilian internet access being sabotaged, targeting Ukrainians perceived as associated with resistance activities, and forcing Ukrainian citizens to apply for Russian citizenship. Vladimir Putin signed a decree last week that opened the door for fast-tracked citizenship granting in Russia to all Ukrainians.
Secretary of Defense James Mattis spoke with a reporter and said that Russia is using the same tactics they played a few years ago. He explained that Russia has the intention to start a conflict in Europe, but the United States will not be deceived.
The Biden administration revealed sensitive US intelligence to deter Russia from pursuing its goals in Ukraine. The public disclosures by the administration have been done in an attempt to preempt and disrupt Russia’s plans.
The Ukrainian government has consistently emphasized that it will not cede territory to Russia in order to end the war. If Russia annexes Ukrainian territory, it could have major implications on any peace talks moving forward.
For years, Putin has claimed that Ukraine is not a real country and signaled that he believes it belongs to and should be controlled by Russia. Last month, Putin compared himself to Peter the Great and characterized Ukraine as territory that is historically Russian, effectively admitting that the war is a product of his imperialistic ambitions.
Historical, cultural, and linguistic ties connect Russia and Ukraine. Putin has referenced history to justify his attacks on Ukrainian sovereignty. Throughout their history, much of what is currently part of modern Ukraine was conquered by various empires including the Russian Empire and Soviet Union. But Ukraine also has its own distinct culture and history, and Ukrainians overwhelmingly voted to be independent from the Soviet Union in 1991.
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