Russia will consider any US state wishing to break away and join the Russian Federation, the deputy of the state Duma has said.
Alexander Tolmachev recently reacted to an online poll of US citizens wanting to break away due to, what he calls, a 'failed American foreign policy'.
According to the poll, 80 percent of New Hampshire residents wanted to leave the state, a Russian news outlet has claimed.
Advert
"Such initiatives are a signal that the citizens of the United States are dissatisfied with their leadership and are ready to take extreme measures, up to secession, if the current policy of America continues," Tolmachev said.
"It is important that voting takes place not on social networks, but officially and legitimately, as in the Crimea, Sevastopol, Donetsk and Luhansk republics, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson provinces."
As reported by Newsweek, one person commented under the poll: "Most of Oregon wants to leave Oregon. I support the big Idaho movement.
Advert
"And so should the people living in Texas, Florida, Idaho and everywhere in between. I support any state that wants to achieve statehood."
Cynthia Nicoletti, professor of law at the University Virginia School of Law, told the publication that the breakaway is unconstitutional.
She said: "States can't unilaterally secede from the US. This was established both by the outcome of our Civil War and by the Supreme Court in the 1869 case Texas v. White. Article I, section 10 of the Constitution also prohibits states from entering into alliances, treaties, or confederations.
"I suppose theoretically it's an open question as to whether a state could secede with the consent of Congress or with the consent of all the other states.
Advert
"There's some throwaway language about the possibility of all states agreeing to allow one state to secede in Lincoln's First Inaugural Address and in Texas v. White."
However, Nicoletti went as far as to say that the whole situation is 'not a realistic scenario'.
As the war continues and Russia shows gradual signs of weakness, Evgeny Popov of Duma has recently claimed that it a 'myth' that Russia are losing the war in Ukraine.
He told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme: “It’s a myth, we’re not losing everything. We are in the process of our special military operation.
When asked about the targeting of civilian infrastructure, he added: “If you see some missiles and blows on children grounds, it was a result of the work of anti-missile system, Ukrainian system.
Advert
“All our missiles was targeted (at) energy infrastructure, communication centres and military headquarters…
“We’re not going to attack civilians in Ukraine, we’re not going to attack people. We’re going to finish this war. We’re going to protect people in Russia”.
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]