Sham elections in Russian-occupied Ukraine

[David Horn]

(09-30-2022, 12:22 AM)Eric the Green Wrote:

(09-29-2022, 03:32 PM)David Horn Wrote:

(09-27-2022, 05:31 PM)pbrower2a Wrote: Elections and referenda held under duress are frauds. Such explains why the United States and many other countries never recognized the Soviet annexation of Estonia, Latvia, or Lithuania in which the Soviet Union forced sham elections for "people's parliaments" to which people who would do the Soviet bidding were the sole choices, and that these delegates would form a new government whose sole purpose was to send a delegation to Moscow begging for annexation by the Soviet Union.

Decisions made under duress are invalid under international, criminal, and commercial law. Fraudulent elections cannot be the basis of a lawful government.

All true, but what happens now?  We left Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia under Soviet dominnantion until the USSR collapsed.  I don't see that happening this time, but ...

A report I saw says that Ukrainian troops in Kherson have Russian forces surrounded, so their occupation will collapse soon. Advances in the northeast continue. The USA is sending more missile systems and other weapons. So, we'll see.

I doubt Putin plays nuclear hardball when the Ukrainians "violate the Russian Fatherland" but that's not guaranteed. We're getting down to rubber-meets-the-road time, and what's on the other side is always problematic.

Putin already destroyed two piplelines Russia will need to rebuild its economy.  He simply doesn't care.  Unless there is a palace coup, an end is nowhere in sight.