Ukrainian MP warns EU 'will be next' if Putin wins war
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Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to legitimise his invasion of Ukraine with “faux elections”, Foreign Office minister James Cleverly said today. In its morning intelligence update, the Ministry of Defence said reports have suggested Russia may seek to stage a referendum in the captured Ukrainian town of Kherson in an attempt to legitimise the area as a “breakaway republic”, similar to Donbas and Crimea. Last week, Russia installed its own mayor in Melitipol after his predecessor was abducted by Russian forces on Friday and the same has happened in Dniprorudne. Mr Cleverly told Sky News: “It’s now quite obvious that Vladimir Putin and the Russian military are attempting some form of legitimacy or justification for their military actions.
“The UK is completely clear: Ukraine is a sovereign territory. They have a right to protect their own borders.
“A faux election to try and justify Russia’s aggression to Ukraine will be recognised for exactly what it is. And that is a fake.”
Putin has attracted widespread condemnation, and many have debated what could be motivating the invasion.
Ukrainian MP Inna Sovsun told Express.co.uk that she doesn’t care what is motivating the Russian leader, saying that he has gone “completely crazy”.
She also warned Russia will continue to escalate the attacks on major cities.
Ms Sovsun said: “Of course they will escalate, that needs to be accepted. They have already used vacuum bombs, which are forbidden by Geneva convention.
“Putin will get frustrated, and the whole world needs to accept that he has gone crazy – he is not in his sane mind.
“He is just completely crazy and there is nothing you can do to prevent him getting even more crazy. We can give up and he will go crazy, we can fight and he will go crazy.
“The only way to resist this is to help Ukrainians fight back.
“It’s difficult for him to escalate on the ground. Ukrainian forces are kicking their a**** on the ground, so what they will be doing is escalating the situation from the air.”
Ms Sovsun also called for the West to intervene before Putin sets his sights on other countries.
Like her president, she has been calling for NATO nations to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
Ms Sovsun added: “In 1994 we gave up our nuclear weapons – in exchange we got assurances from the UK and the US that our security will be guaranteed.
“That was a written promise from the UK and the US – right now they are breaking that promise.
“Imagine Russia does invade Ukraine fully and take control of the country – that would put Russia on the eastern border of the EU and Poland.
“Putin has already said he doesn’t like Poland, the Baltic countries, Hungary in the EU. He doesn’t like Finland’s neutrality or Sweden’s neutrality.
“Does anyone really believe he will stop with Ukraine? He will go further, and then the West will have to intervene.”
Russia and Ukraine have engaged in multiple rounds of peace talks, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he is encouraged by the negotiations.
But Russia also continues to attack major cities – it has been reported that two people have died after a 16-storey apartment block was set alight by Russian shelling in Kyiv.
UK defence sources have suggested Russian forces may only be able to keep fighting at full strength for another two weeks.
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The offensive may struggle to make any progress or hold ground after the next 10 to 14 days, they told the Daily Mail.
Ms Sovsun told Express.co.uk that Russian forces have struggled on the ground.
She added: “Ukraine’s army has been kicking their a***, the Russian army is not as strong as it is meant to be, they are badly equipped, their morale is bad.
“It is not actually that strong an army – and compared to NATO’s armies, I don’t think Russia can stand in that fight.
“I know there is this nuclear threat everyone is mentioning, but I think it is overstated.
“After all, there are some less crazy people in Putin’s surroundings who won’t let that happen.
“Some people in Russian intelligence are providing information to the West and to Ukraine.
“I believe these people will prevent the worst from happening.”
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