US, ex-secretaries of State and Defense say that Russia will keep the annexed territories

WASHINGTON - For former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the Russian Federation is ready to maintain control of the territories that voted to join Russia during the special military operation in Ukraine.

According to Rice writing in a joint article with former US Defense Secretary Robert Gates for the Washington Post, most of Ukraine’s industrial capacity and mineral wealth are under Russian control, while Ukraine’s infrastructure and economy they suffered a lot.

“For (Russian President Vladimir Putin), defeat is not an option. He cannot cede to Ukraine the four eastern provinces he has declared part of Russia. If he cannot succeed militarily this year, he must retain control of the positions in eastern and southern Ukraine which provides future starting points for renewed offensives to capture the rest of Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, control the entire Donbass region and then move west,” the joint article, published on Saturday, said . “Count on Putin’s patience to meet his destiny,” Rice said.

“Absent another major Ukrainian breakthrough and success against Russian forces, Western pressure on Ukraine to negotiate a ceasefire will increase as the months of military stalemate roll on,” the joint article said.

On 30 September, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, signed agreements on these territories joining Russia, following referendums which showed that the vast majority of the local population supported the will