Unilateral annexation of four Ukrainian provinces, where are the borders?
(Economist UK, October 6, 2022)
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Suddenly, no one knows where Putin thinks the Russian border is.
“Where does the Motherland begin?”
It’s the title of a patriotic theme song used in Soviet-era movies honoring the KGB, and one of President Vladimir Putin’s favorite songs.
In 2010, the president himself stuttered the song on the piano at a benefit concert. There has also been a bit of a revival in 2014 when Russia occupied Crimea in Ukraine.
The song took on an ironic overtone in early October.
The formal annexation of the occupied territories of eastern and southern Ukraine by the Russian parliament has left the Russian government unable to answer with certainty where exactly the “motherland” begins.
Officially, Russia claims to have incorporated Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson provinces.
Of the four provinces, however, only Lugansk is almost entirely under Russian control.
Lines that are not clear even in the annexed areas
Although the annexation was ostensibly justified by the ostentatious referendum held on September 23-27, it pretended to consult the residents of the areas not under administration. I can’t even do that.
The front line is fluid, with Ukrainian forces advancing rapidly in some areas.
On October 3, as the Russian parliament was preparing to vote, Presidential Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters exactly which territories of the two provinces of Kherson and Zaporozhye have become part of Russia. Said he mightn’t say.
“The government intends to continue dialogue with the local population, and it will depend on the wishes of the residents.”
This statement caused confusion.
“How many centuries has this been? Russia does not have a generally recognized border in the west of the country.”
Arkady Mosches, a Russian researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, said:
“Where do we draw the line when we consider that there are areas where Ukraine is entering and others where it is not?”
