Statement by the Federal Political Committee of Yabloko, 29.09.2022

Photo: Mobilisation. / Photo by Viktor Korotayev, Kommersant

The “referendums” held on 23-27  September on the inclusion of the territories of the “Donetsk People’s Republic”, the “Luhansk People’s Republic”, parts of the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions into the Russian Federation, their predictable results, the well-known intentions of the Russian authorities to take advantage of this, and the announcement and the course towards the “partial mobilisation” confirm the stance of the Russian United Democratic Party Yabloko regarding the obvious and inevitable consequences of such actions:

– the “votings” will not and cannot be recognised by an absolute majority of UN Member States;

– the announced inclusion of the “new territories” into the Russian Federation will lead to a radical escalation of the special military operation: a sharp increase in hostilities and an increase in the number of victims;

– the likelihood of the use of nuclear weapons and the involvement of NATO member states in the conflict will increase significantly, which will lead to catastrophic consequences.

The “partial mobilisation” announced by the leadership of the Russian Federation leads to an increase in social tension, exacerbates economic problems, provokes a new significant wave of emigration of young, educated and energetic citizens, and protests against its implementation deeply split Russian society sharply increasing the degree of confrontation. A new wave of police repression is unfolding in connection with the mobilisation, seeding hatred and enmity for a long time.

As before, the Russian United Democratic Party Yabloko, being a democratic opposition, reiterates its categorical disagreement with the policy of the country’s leadership and considers the following priority measures vital:

– conclusion of an agreement on an immediate ceasefire;

– refusal of official recognition of referendums;

– exchange of prisoners of war according to the formula “all for all”;

– exchange of the bodies of the dead;

– independent investigation of reports on war crimes;

– demilitarisation of the zone around nuclear power facilities;

– immediate bringing of an expanded group of IAEA representatives (including ballistics specialists and security officers) [to the nuclear power plants] to ensure safety at nuclear power plants.

It is these urgent measures that are necessary in the current situation, since they create the minimum necessary conditions for discussing the possibility of negotiations and preventing a nuclear conflict.

THE YABLOKO PARTY STANDS FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM!

Grigory Yavlinsky,

Chairman of the Federal Political Committee of Yabloko