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Diplomat invites LPR’s vocal opponents to attend referendum to ensure vote is democratic

Vladislav Deinego pointed out that the West was espousing an idea and Vladimir Zelensky was actively trying to advance it - to shut down the possibility of obtaining a Schengen for everyone with a Russian passport

LUGANSK, August 18./TASS/. Even most vociferous opponents of the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) will be able to attend the referendum on LPR’s accession to Russia in order to see for themselves that the process is democratic, the republic’s Foreign Minister Vladislav Deinego told TASS on Thursday.

"I don't see any danger even if the most fervent opponents of the Lugansk People's Republic come and see for themselves, and get a hands-on experience, figuratively speaking," Deinego said.

"Take the Americans, they are all different," he went on to say. "That's why you can't stick the label 'America is bad'," Deinego pointed out. "Although you and I are now witnessing a situation where the West is espousing an idea and [Ukrainian President Vladimir] Zelensky is actively trying to advance it - to shut down the possibility of obtaining a Schengen [visa] for everyone with a Russian passport. That's absurd!" he stressed.

Earlier, LPR leader Leonid Pasechnik said that the republic might hold a referendum in which its residents would express their opinion on becoming part of the Russian Federation. On July 15, the LPR made the decision to set up a public headquarters for the referendum. Pasechnik stressed then that the referendum could take place only after the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) had been liberated.

On July 3, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu reported to President Vladimir Putin that the Lugansk People’s Republic had been liberated.

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