Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s security council, said: “Trespassing on Russian territory is a crime that allows you to use all the forces of self-defense. “This is why these referendums are so feared in Kyiv and the West. They would completely change Russia’s development vehicle for decades. And not only of our country – the geopolitical transformation of the world would be irreversible once the new territories are incorporated into Russia.” Margarita Simonyan, the prominent head of the state television network RT, said: “Judging by what is happening and is going to happen, this week marks the eve of our imminent victory in a nuclear war. I can’t see any other option.” Washington has so far said that the weapons it has supplied to Ukraine should not be used to fire on Russian soil. However, this does not extend to illegally annexed territories such as Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. Tatyana Stanovaya, a Russian analyst at R.Politik, said:[This] is a perfectly clear ultimatum from Russia to Ukraine and the West – either Ukraine backs down or there will be nuclear war. “To secure a victory, Putin is ready to hold referendums immediately to get the right, as he sees it, to use nuclear weapons to defend Russian soil.” Ukrainian officials have said that Kiev’s counteroffensive will continue even if Russia formally annexes new territories. Dmytro Kuleba, the foreign minister, said: “Fake ‘referendums’ will not change anything. Russia was and remains an aggressor who illegally owns parts of Ukrainian land. Ukraine has every right to liberate its territories and will continue to liberate them no matter what Russia has to say.”
