Kherson region assumes the Russian ruble with the Ukrainian hryvnia

“On May 23, a bi-cash zone was officially introduced in the region: the ruble will be used with the hryvnia,” the official said in a statement, whose intervention was published on his Telegram channel. In this way, he noted, companies installed in the region can set prices in both currencies. He stated that the exchange rate is set at 2 rubles per hryvnia.

On May 11, Deputy Head of the Military and Civilian Administration of Kherson Kirill Strimozov stated that local authorities would ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to integrate the region into the Eurasian state.

“The referendum that was legitimately held in Crimea was not welcomed by the international community, which did everything in its power not to consider Russia as a whole subject of the international community,” he noted at a press conference on Wednesday.

Strimozov noted that the intention is to ask the Russian president to present that area as a full-fledged subject of the Russian Federation by the end of the year, based on a legislative base they prepare and justify the proposal.

He stressed that the Kherson region is currently operating according to our plans in accordance with the decisions of the military and civil administration, and by the end of the year a decision will be made on how we are located.

In such statements, Russian presidential spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told the press on Wednesday that the residents of that Ukrainian region should decide for themselves whether or not to ask for their lands to be incorporated into Russia. He also noted that such a possibility must have a clear legal justification.

“Of course, whether there will be a demand or not, the residents of the Kherson region must decide, just as the people of the Kherson region must decide their fate,” the senior official said.

The head of the Kremlin’s media office warned that “this is an issue that must be clearly and thoroughly examined and evaluated by legal experts.”

Peskov said that such an important decision should have a completely clear legal background, legal justification, and be absolutely legitimate, as was the case in the Crimea case.

jcm / mml