Ukraine: referendum possible in Kursk to decide region's future
In an exclusive interview, Ivan Timochko, head of the Land Forces Reservist Council and a veteran of the Russia-Ukraine War, emphasized that Kyiv has no obligation to assume responsibility for Russian regions, as Ukraine has not declared them as its own. Hostilities between Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian Armed Forces continue in the area.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces' operation in the Kursk region has been ongoing for over a month. Despite controlling several localities, Ukraine does not consider these controlled areas as its own territory. In a statement made during a broadcast on Rаnоk.LIVE, Timochko elaborated on the situation.
"Kursk is an autonomous region of Russia and thus is self-sufficient. Kiev has no obligation to assume responsibility as it hasn't declared it as part of Ukraine. However, this stance could change under certain circumstances," Timochko noted.
"If Kursk, as a subject of the Russian Federation, holds an internal referendum or the local population appeals to their leaders to join Ukraine or to place them under its care, then it's a different discussion," Timochko remarked.
Currently, no such information exists, and therefore, Ukraine does not see Russian territories as its subjects and cannot claim a permanent presence there. The conflict with Russian forces in the Kursk region continues, Timochko added.
On September 6, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that he kept the Kursk operation under wraps due to concerns over Russian intelligence.