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West’s reaction to Zaporozhye region’s accession to Russia will be negative — Russian MP

According to Vladimir Dzhabarov, residents of the Zaporozhye region should express their will at a referendum

MOSCOW, August 8. /TASS/. The reaction of the world community to the Zaporozhye region’s accession to Russia, if it decides so at a referendum, will most likely be negative but its reaction is of secondary importance for Russia, a senior Russian senator said on Monday.

"I think that the international community’s reaction will be negative. It has always been negative. The same was in the situation around Crimea. But we are gathering the Russian world within its original borders. The reaction of the international community is of secondary importance," Vladimir Dzhabarov, first deputy chairman of the international committee of Russia’s Federation Council, or upper parliament house, told TASS.

However, in his words, the military operation in the Zaporozhye region should be completed first and its residents should express their will at a referendum.

Zaporozhye region head Yevgeny Balitsky said earlier on Monday he has decreed to organize a referendum on the region’s accession to Russia.

By today, Kiev has lost control over more than 70% of the territory of the Zaporozhye region. However, the region’s administrative center, the city of Zaporozhye, where nearly half of the region’s population is living, is still controlled by Kiev and its function is temporarily performed by Melitopol.